History
The university's formal history began in 1957 as University College, theNorthern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia, offering coursesin engineering and the liberal arts. It opened in a renovated elementaryschool in the Bailey's Crossroads area with an enrollment of 17 students.
Education
This is one of the best times of your life — endless prospects lie ahead. hat's where we come in. Mason's academic programs aren't just courses of study; they're pathways to the accomplishments you want to make, the global problems you want to solve, and the life you want to live. Our top-rated faculty prepare you to compete with the best in the world through experiential learning, research projects, and connections to internships. You'll also study in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs.
Research
George Mason University conducts research that goes beyond the desire to know and understand; we want to make a difference. Research is vital to expanding our knowledge, sparking new ideas, and developing innovative techniques that have an impact on society, the economy, and the environment. It’s a critical part of the university’s purpose and mission.
Career
University Career Services is George Mason University’s nationally recognized centralized career center. We are specialists taking an industry-focused approach to serving our students and employers.
We prepare and connect career-ready students for post-graduate success.
Career Services:- Held 140+ career programs
- Served 21,000+ students
- Awarded $28,000 in scholarships for unpaid internships
- Supported a network of 400+ faculty & staff university-wide
- Promoted 80K+ jobs and internships through Handshake
- Hosted 100s of employers recruiting Mason students and alumni
George Mason University Key Statistics & Highlights
- #201 Ranking
- 150 Scholarships
- 2,600 Academic Staff
- 39,150 Students
- Public Institution Type
George Mason University Overview
George Mason University Scholarships
George Mason University Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to George Mason University. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
07 Oct 2026
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
Not specified
Other Scholarships For Graduate Students
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
72000 USD
Deadline
31 Oct 2026
Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF)
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
25600 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Next 100 (Kitas 100)
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 AUD
Deadline
30 Sep 2026
Veterans’ Fund Indigenous Scholarships
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
20000 USD
Deadline
31 Mar 2027
Thanks To Scandinavia Grants To Danish Students
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 AUD
Deadline
30 Apr 2026
Veterans’ Fund Graduate Scholarships
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
Not specified
The Fulbright Program
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
38000 GBP
Deadline
16 Sep 2026
Marshall Scholarships
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
40000 USD
Deadline
30 Sep 2026
Study Abroad Graduate Scholarships of Chungcheongnam-do
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
01 Sep 2026
Fulbright Award For Postgraduate Study
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
30000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
International Education Center's Study Abroad Programs
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
11000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Dositeja Fund For Young Talents Of Serbia
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
30000 USD
Deadline
Not specified
Baltic American Freedom Foundation Scholarships
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
300000 HKD
Deadline
30 Sep 2026
Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships For Overseas Studies
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
5000 USD
Deadline
31 Jul 2026
Udaan India Scholarship
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
332500 USD
Deadline
31 May 2026
Study Abroad Graudate Scholarships Of SBS Foundation
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
Various benefits
Deadline
01 Nov 2026
Fulbright-Masaryk Award
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
30000 CZK
Deadline
30 Jun 2026
Olomouc Region Study Scholarship
Read more about eligibility
Independent provider
Grant
1000 USD
Deadline
31 May 2026
National Parent Volunteer Association Scholarships
Merit-based
Read more about eligibility
George Mason University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 6.5% United States
Top 6.4% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
201
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 201 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
401
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | 401 | 401 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
510
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 7 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 478 | 503 | 510 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
951
By TopUniversities
Climbed 50 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 951 | 1001 | 951 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
The Mason Student Services Center is the first stop and the central resource for information and solutions related to registration, enrollment, financial aid, billing, academic records and other student support services.
A team of cross-trained Mason Student Services Center Representatives provide assistance to new and continuing students at all points of their academic career, in one convenient location, thus eliminating the need to visit multiple offices on campus.
Housing services
Most first-year students will live in traditional residence hall communities such as Presidents Park, a complex of 12 residence halls.
- All rooms are furnished with beds, desks, chairs, dressers, and closets. Carpets and window treatments are provided.
- Most bedrooms in Presidents Park are double or triple occupancy. A small number of quads and singles are also available.
- Bedrooms are accessed off the main hallway, and residents share bathrooms (designated by gender).
- Each of these buildings has two or three floors and is home to 26 to 40 residents.
- All halls are coed by floor or floor section.
- Common areas, such as lounges and laundry, are distributed throughout the community.
Library services
Fenwick Library, located centrally on the Fairfax campus, is George Mason University's main research library and houses the majority of the University Libraries' 1.5 million volumes. Fenwick is a hub of research services, learning spaces, digital technology, and numerous resources for the Mason Community.
ICT services
Mason offers three Wi-Fi networks to the university community:
- eduroam is an encrypted Wi-Fi network open to all guests who are members of the eduroam federation.
- MASON is an unencrypted Wi-Fi network targeted for use by visitors and guests only.
- MASON-SECURE is a legacy network serving Mason faculty, staff, and students only.
Medical services
Student Health Services’ dedicated doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses provide accessible and affordable health care to all currently enrolled Mason students in a caring and confidential environment.
Campus life
Mason’s campus has more than 40 residence halls, from suites to apartments. Many are new or have been recently renovated to be even more spacious and comfortable. More than 75 percent of all freshmen live on campus, so there’s always plenty going on. A variety of amenities are available within each building, including high-speed Internet access and free laundry facilities (but you still have to fold)
Sports facilities
- A division of University Life, Mason Recreation offers state-ofthe- art facilities for the university and surrounding community. Fitness memberships that include access to all three recreation and athletic facilities—the Aquatic and Fitness Center, the Recreation and Athletic Complex, and Skyline Fitness Center— are available to university-affiliated and nonaffiliated individuals.
Student clubs
Learn to juggle. Celebrate Arabic culture. Sing your heart out. With more than 350 student organizations at Mason, there are so many ways for students to find their niches, get involved, and meet new friends in the process. Our student groups are responsible for many of the programs and events on campus each year and contribute to lively, engaged campus community.
Accreditation
George Mason University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Every ten years, the university engages in the process of reaffirmation of accreditation. This activity takes three years, and involves faculty, staff, and students from across the institution.
George Mason University Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
United States Country
Fairfax City
#2 Branch Campus
United States Country
Arlington City
#3 Branch Campus
United States Country
Manassas City
#4 Branch Campus
South Korea Country
Tsche-mul-p-ho City
George Mason University Student Reviews & Awards
4
Based on 100 reviews
- 5 Star 13 Reviews
- 4 Star 84 Reviews
- 3 Star 1 Review
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 1 Review
How Students Rated This University
- Overall Satisfaction 4.1
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.3
- Student Diversity 4.0
- Quality of Student Life 4.0
- Career Development 4.2
Review of GMU
I would recommend if you want to be in an online course, to be prepared to be self discipline and organized. It is especially hard if you are working full time as well. I really liked the professors. The other students can be annoying at times during office hours.
Parking costs, kind faculty
George Mason is nice! It is a commuter school so it does feel pretty boring. Parking garages can be insane and very overpriced. I have not tried the food but I went to the Starbucks and was heavily disappointed in how school management gave them so many disadvantages to working in a busy school coffee shop. Professors so far have been very kind and understanding!
GMU
It's far from a 'regular' college experience. That being said everyone here are HARDDDDDWORKERS. They have amazing guests that show on our Spirit Days for example Bakar this year and last was Dominic Fike. I think Jesse McCartney came a few years back
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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Overall SatisfactionHow would you rate your overall study experience?
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Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
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Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
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Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
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Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?