Fairfax, Virginia · Public · 4-year · Large suburb
Overview
George Mason University is a public four-year institution based in Fairfax, Virginia. Its campus is in a large suburban area. Fall 2024 enrollment was 39,766, made up of 28,334 undergraduates and 11,432 graduate students. It holds the Carnegie R1 designation for very high research activity.
George Mason University offers certificates, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and professional doctorates across 196 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Business/Commerce, Computer and Information Sciences, General, and Information Technology. It awarded 11,076 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 73 of its programs can be completed entirely online.
86% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 16 to 1.
Mission
A public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the National Capital Region, we are an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.
Key figures
39,766
Students enrolled
86%
First-year retention
11,076
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
196
Programs and majors
16:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateBachelorMasterPhDProfessional
Programs and majors offered 196
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
86%
First-year retention, part-time students
68%
Student-to-faculty ratio
16:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Bachelor's degrees
6,228
Master's degrees
3,670
Doctoral degrees (research)
331
Professional doctorates
166
Postbaccalaureate certificates
681
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
39,766
Undergraduates, fall 2024
28,334
Graduate students, fall 2024
11,432
Full-time, fall 2024
71%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
47,801
Undergraduates, 2024-25
33,560
Graduate students, 2024-25
14,241
Full-time, 2024-25
63%
Size category
20,000 students or more
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
52%
Men
48%
White
34%
Hispanic or Latino
15%
Black or African American
12%
Asian
20%
Two or more races
4%
International (U.S. nonresident)
10%
Race or ethnicity unknown
5%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs that can be completed fully online
73
Programs with a fully online option
3
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Online graduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
19%
Students taking some online courses
58%
Weekend or evening classes
Yes
Campus and services
Setting
Large suburb
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Research designation
Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production
Athletic association
NCAA
Athletic conference
Atlantic 10 Conference
President
Gregory Washington
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, ROTC, Undergraduate research, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, On-campus day care, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members
Yellow Ribbon Program, Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization