Hollins University vs George Mason University (GMU)

Hollins University and George Mason University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Hollins, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and undergraduate research opportunities. In contrast, George Mason, a public research university, provides a more extensive range of academic programs, including graduate degrees, and emphasizes interdisciplinary studies. While both universities are located in Virginia, they differ in their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	George Mason University	Hollins University
Overview
Location	Fairfax, Virginia	Roanoke, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	74.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.3%	74.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75	$40
SAT range	1140 - 1350	N/A
ACT range	25 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%
Total number of applicants	20,527	3,093
Total number of admissions given out	18,741	2,311
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,986	234
Yield rate	21.3%	10.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $35,263 Out of state: $58,723	$54,640
Average net price	$18,841	$23,825
Tuition	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970	$39,360
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010	Room/dormitory: $8,900 Meal plan: $5,760
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $10,110	100.0% Average amount $33,997
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,006	62.0% Average amount $5,409
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $18,474	6.0% Average amount $11,453

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%	713 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	142 Men 28.9% Women 71.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	18.9%	N/A
International students	8.0%	7.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	6,513	667
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Engineering	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Education Social Sciences History
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.1%	58.7%
Dropout rate	9.6%	41.3%
Transferred out	16.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,837 Year 2: $109,763 Year 3: $127,586 Homeland Security (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,476 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $120,573 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,886 Year 2: $99,709 Year 3: $117,377 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,424 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $115,693 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,841 Year 2: $105,585 Year 3: $113,896 Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $121,226 Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $105,664 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $101,843 Year 2: $100,690 Year 3: $101,702 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,386 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,604 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,911 Year 2: $91,448 Year 3: $99,722 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,065 Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $94,785	Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $32,950 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,495 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $27,617 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,470 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,862 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A Dance (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $29,840 Year 2: $45,529 Year 3: N/A

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Hollins University vs George Mason University (GMU)

George Mason University

Hollins University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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