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George Mason at a glance
27,752
undergrads
87%
of applicants admitted
86%
come back for year 2
76%
graduate
16 : 1
students per teacher
$79,923
typical pay 10 years in
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.
What a year really costs
After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $14,697.
Under $30k $9,594
$30k–$48k $9,467
$48k–$75k $11,341
$75k–$110k $16,147
Over $110k $23,862
Tuition, in state
$14,316
Tuition, out of state
$39,312
Typical debt at graduation
$18,500
34% of students get a Pell Grant
Free stuff most students miss
Getting around
Mason Shuttle
Free shuttle service connecting Fairfax, Arlington, and Science & Technology campuses
Health & safety
Counseling and Psychological Services
Free individual and group counseling, crisis support, and wellness workshops for Mason students
Eat
Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.
Southside Dining Hall
Dining hall All-you-care-to-eat dining with 8 stations and exhibition cooking in the center of campus
4400 University Drive
Ikes Dining Hall
Dining hall All-you-care-to-eat residential dining near Presidents Park neighborhood
4400 University Drive Dining hall
The Globe
Dining hall International cuisine dining hall featuring globally inspired dishes
4400 University Dr
The Eaterie
Dining hall Made-to-order food market with diverse options using meal swipes or dining dollars
4400 University Dr
Johnson Center Food Court
Cafe Multi-vendor food court with Burger King, Starbucks, Italian, Indian, and Asian cuisines
4400 University Drive, Johnson Center Specialty dining
The Spot
Specialty dining Bottomless plant-based dining hall with vegan and vegetarian options
4400 University Dr
Starbucks - Johnson Center
Cafe Full Starbucks in the Johnson Center
4400 University Dr
Chipotle
Cafe Chipotle Mexican Grill in Johnson Center accepting dining dollars
4400 University Dr
Chick-fil-A
Cafe Popular campus Chick-fil-A with quick-service meals
4400 University Dr
Panera Bread
Cafe Bakery-cafe with soups, salads, sandwiches, and coffee
4400 University Dr Cafe
Panda Express
Cafe Chinese kitchen on campus with quick-service meals
4400 University Dr Cafe
The Halal Guys
Cafe Halal street food with gyros, chicken, and falafel bowls
4400 University DrWhere to live
Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.
Presidents Park
Residence hall First-year traditional halls including Adams, Jefferson, Kennedy
4400 University Dr
The Commons
Residence hall Seven traditional halls housing 500 first-year students
4400 University Dr
Commonwealth Hall
Residence hall First-year suite-style rooms
4400 University Dr
Rappahannock Neighborhood
Residence hall Upper-level suites and apartments closest to central campus
4400 University Dr
Potomac Heights
Residence hall Apartment-style for 500 upper-level students
4400 University DrGet around
Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.
Mason Shuttle
Transit Free shuttle service connecting Fairfax, Arlington, and Science & Technology campuses
4400 University Drive Transit
Mason Shuttle Service
Transit Free campus shuttles connecting Fairfax, Mason Square, and West Campus
4400 University Dr Transit
CUE Bus
Transit Free public transit to Fairfax City and Vienna Metro station
4400 University Dr
Parking Services
Parking Campus parking permits and garages
4400 University Dr Transit
Starship Delivery Robots
Transit Autonomous delivery robots bringing food from campus restaurants
4400 University Dr
Arlington Campus
Transit GMU Arlington Campus at Virginia Square Metro, home to policy and government programs
3351 Fairfax DriveMajors that pay most at George Mason
Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 51 bachelor's majors with published pay.
Homeland Security $143,972
Computer Engineering $117,942
Systems Engineering $114,815
Computer Science $110,754
Electrical Engineering $103,074
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods $97,049
Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.
Your George Mason checklist
5 things worth doing early
When you need help
5 things George Mason freshmen wish they knew sooner
1 Take a class at Georgetown or GWU
"Eligible George Mason students may enroll in courses at any of the consortium institutions." The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area has 16 schools, and cross-registration is open to juniors and seniors.
2 Rough first term? Your cap drops to 13
After a first term under a 2.00 GPA, "Students registered for 14 or more credits are responsible for seeking academic advisement and adjusting their enrollment to a maximum of 13 credits."
3 Email from Gmail? Profs will not reply
From the policies every Mason syllabus has to carry: "Instructors will not respond to messages sent from or send messages regarding course content to a non-GMU email address."
4 Your WI class must let you revise one
Writing-intensive courses must "assign and grade a minimum of 3500 words, provide constructive feedback on drafts, and allow revision of at least one graded assignment."
5 Record the lecture — Gus makes the notes, flashcards and quiz
Gus is an AI college companion built around your actual classes. Record a lecture and it writes the notes, pulls out the key topics, builds a flashcard deck, and makes a practice quiz from what was actually said. The flashcards come back on a spaced-review schedule, so the thing you missed shows up again right before you would have forgotten it. It is free to try.
One more thing
Cheating records stay for ten years
"Academic Standards records at George Mason University are kept for ten years."
George Mason Catalog — academic standards (AP.9)Every syllabus must spell out AI rules
Each syllabus has to include "A statement about allowable and prohibited uses of AI tools, with as much specificity as possible." Read it for every class.
George Mason Catalog — course information (AP.2)Gus is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by George Mason University. Tips checked against George Mason's own pages in October 2026. Campus info last updated October 2026. Stats from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Something out of date? hello@meetgus.app · All campus guides