Temple University vs George Mason University (GMU)

Temple University and George Mason University, both located in vibrant metropolitan areas, offer distinct educational experiences. Temple, a public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including highly regarded business, engineering, and health sciences offerings. George Mason, a public research university in Fairfax, Virginia, is known for its strong programs in engineering, information technology, and public policy, and its proximity to Washington, D.C., provides ample opportunities for internships and networking. While Temple has a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, George Mason offers a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two esteemed institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	George Mason University	Temple University
Overview
Location	Fairfax, Virginia	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	86.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.3%	72.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $75
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	37,571
Total number of admissions given out	18,741	27,176
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,986	4,922
Yield rate	21.3%	18.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not 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	In state: $36,536 Out of state: $49,760
Average net price	$18,841	$23,224
Tuition	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970	In state: $16,488 Out of state: $29,712
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010	Room/dormitory: $8,636 Meal plan: $4,508
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $10,110	85.0% Average amount $11,292
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,006	58.0% Average amount $5,158
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $18,474	13.0% Average amount $19,022

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%	25,967 Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
Graduate students	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	9,659 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	18.9%	N/A
International students	8.0%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,513	4,338
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	Business Health Professions Communication and Journalism Visual & Performing Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.1%	75.3%
Dropout rate	9.6%	10.2%
Transferred out	16.5%	12.9%
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	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,855 Year 2: $101,792 Year 3: $128,630 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $112,213 Year 2: $118,584 Year 3: $124,939 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,180 Year 2: $93,520 Year 3: $119,383 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $109,763 Year 3: $115,715 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,345 Year 2: $102,409 Year 3: $102,109 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,640 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $96,241 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,935 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $93,643 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,802 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $85,650 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,760 Year 2: $65,557 Year 3: $82,418 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $63,481 Year 2: $67,789 Year 3: $79,307

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Temple University vs George Mason University (GMU)

George Mason University

Temple University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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