George

George Mason University

George
#248 / #89
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#548
Most Desirable School
Public liberal arts and research university in Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University Featured Rankings

About George Mason University

By James Barham, PhD

George Mason University (GMU) was founded in 1949 as the Northern Virginia University Center of the University of Virginia. The school was originally located in Arlington, Virginia, a suburban town just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC.

In 1956, the Northern Virginia University Center was upgraded to University College of the University of Virginia; at the same time, the school moved to the nearby town of Bailey’s Crossroads. In 1959, University College changed its name to George Mason College of the University of Virginia.

George Mason (1725–1792) was a Virginia delegate to the US Constitutional Convention in 1787. He was one of only three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution in its original version, without the Bill of Rights. As one of the authors of the “Fairfax Resolves” of 1774 and the “Virginia Declaration of Rights” of 1776, which formed the basis for the first ten amendments that were added to the Constitution in 1789, Mason is sometimes referred to as the “father of the Bill of Rights.”

In 1964, George Mason College moved again, to its present location in Fairfax, Virginia—the birthplace of George Mason—and in 1977, the school severed its ties to the University of Virginia, becoming fully autonomous under the name of George Mason University.

Today, GMU comprises 11 colleges, schools, and institutes, including, notably, the Antonin Scalia Law School, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study.

Also associated with GMU is the Mercatus Center, a free market-oriented, economic-policy think tank. Overall, the student body numbers more than 38,000 individuals.

Among many distinguished GMU faculty and alumni, we may note the following:

  • Mathematician, Duminda Wijesekera
  • Computer scientists, Jonathan Katz, Kenneth A. De Jong, Robert Axtell, Qing Tian, Jana Košecká & M. Brian Blake
  • Poet, Eric Pankey
  • Novelist, Alan Cheuse
  • Children’s author, Sharon Creech
  • Documentary filmmaker, Carma Hinton
  • Actors, Rhea Seehorn, Paige Moss & Archie Kao
  • Artist, Deborah Willis
  • Astrophysicist, Arthur I. Poland
  • Physicist, Robert Ehrlich
  • Chemists, Gerald Weatherspoon & Rebecca M. Jones
  • Biochemist, Harold J. Morowitz
  • Neuroscientists, Rob Cressman & Avrama Kim Blackwell
  • Psychologists, Stephen Zaccaro, June Tangney, Lois Tetrick & Todd B. Kashdan
  • Sociologist, Joshua Greenberg
  • Anthropologists, Susan Hirsch & Mary Catherine Bateson
  • Political scientists, Jack Goldstone, Mark Rozell, Mark N. Katz & Richard E. Rubenstein
  • Criminologist, David Weisburd
  • Legal scholar, Todd Zywicki
  • Economists, James M. Buchanan (Nobel laureate), Vernon L. Smith (Nobel laureate), Gordon Tullock, Walter E. Williams, Lawrence H. White, Peter Boettke, Steven Horwitz, Bryan Caplan, Tyler Cowan, Christopher Coyne & Donald J. Boudreaux
  • Historians Martin Sherwin, Richard Norton Smith, Rex A. Wade & Roy Rosenzweig
  • Civil rights activist and African-American studies scholar, Roger Wilkins
  • Investigative journalist, Brian Krebs
  • TV journalists, Angie Goff & Hala Gorani
  • Economics journalists, Stephen Moore & Jeffrey Tucker
  • Business journalist and columnist, Steven Pearlstein
  • US Republican Party political consultant and presidential policy advisor, Karl Rove
  • Current Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh

According to Wikipedia, George Mason University is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia. The university was originally founded in 1949 as a Northern Virginia regional branch of the University of Virginia. Named after Founding Father of the United States George Mason in 1959, it became an independent university in 1972. The school has since grown into the largest public university in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

George Mason University's Online Degrees

George Mason University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
20,00190%71%124528

How Much Does George Mason University Cost To Attend?

Tuition (in-state)Fees (in-state)
$9,795$3,606

How Much Do George Mason University Graduates Make?

If you graduate from George Mason University, then you can expect to earn an average of $63,900 per year. You also have a 89% chance of being employed after 10 years.

George Mason University's Demographics

Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
46,89232,24614,646

Where is George Mason University?

George Mason University is located at 4400 University Dr, Fairfax VA 22030-4444

How Safe is George Mason University?

George Mason University has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.

What Is George Mason University Known For?

George Mason University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

George Mason University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Economics
#35
World Rank
#47
Historical Rank
#19
USA Rank
economics Degrees
Political Science
#122
World Rank
#134
Historical Rank
#38
USA Rank
political-science Degrees
Criminal Justice
#51
World Rank
#55
Historical Rank
#42
USA Rank
criminal-justice Degrees
Law
#166
World Rank
#178
Historical Rank
#55
USA Rank
Computer Science
#166
World Rank
#169
Historical Rank
#59
USA Rank
computer-science Degrees
Sociology
#218
World Rank
#233
Historical Rank
#74
USA Rank
sociology Degrees
Business
#219
World Rank
#219
Historical Rank
#88
USA Rank
business Degrees
Philosophy
#284
World Rank
#313
Historical Rank
#91
USA Rank
philosophy Degrees
Earth Sciences
#381
World Rank
#402
Historical Rank
#95
USA Rank
earth-science Degrees
History
#267
World Rank
#281
Historical Rank
#104
USA Rank
history Degrees
Anthropology
#296
World Rank
#319
Historical Rank
#110
USA Rank
anthropology Degrees
Physics
#448
World Rank
#482
Historical Rank
#111
USA Rank
physics Degrees
Education
#380
World Rank
#386
Historical Rank
#112
USA Rank
education Degrees
Communications
#368
World Rank
#393
Historical Rank
#112
USA Rank
communications Degrees
Engineering
#491
World Rank
#515
Historical Rank
#117
USA Rank
engineering Degrees
Biology
#391
World Rank
#415
Historical Rank
#119
USA Rank
biology Degrees
Psychology
#263
World Rank
#275
Historical Rank
#121
USA Rank
psychology Degrees
Literature
#354
World Rank
#412
Historical Rank
#126
USA Rank
literature Degrees
Mathematics
#485
World Rank
#520
Historical Rank
#133
USA Rank
math Degrees
Chemistry
#655
World Rank
#685
Historical Rank
#144
USA Rank
chemistry Degrees
Social Work
#379
World Rank
#380
Historical Rank
#163
USA Rank
social-work Degrees
Medical
#526
World Rank
#533
Historical Rank
#164
USA Rank
medicine Degrees
Nursing
#485
World Rank
#485
Historical Rank
#187
USA Rank
nursing Degrees
Religious Studies
#905
World Rank
#934
Historical Rank
#209
USA Rank
religious-studies-hub Degrees

Who Are George Mason University's Most Influential Alumni?

George Mason University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Economics, Criminal Justice, and Political Science. Here are some of George Mason University's most famous alumni:

Tyler Cowen
Tyler Cowen
An American economist, columnist and blogger.
Peter Boettke
An American economist.
Stephen Moore
Stephen Moore
An American economic analyst and Wall Street Journal editor.
Steven Horwitz
Steven Horwitz
An American economist.
Alex Tabarrok
Alex Tabarrok
A Canadian economist.
Peter Leeson
Peter Leeson
An American economist.
Fred Foldvary
An American economist.
Karl Rove
Karl Rove
An American political consultant and policy advisor.
Stephen Blair Hedges
Stephen Blair Hedges
A Professor of evolutionary biology.
Jon Gettman
An American activist.
Richard Bausch
An American novelist and short story writer.
Ivan Katchanovski
A Researcher, ORCID id # 0000-0001-8266-9987.

Who Are George Mason University's Most Influential Faculty?

George Mason University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Economics, Criminal Justice, and Political Science. Here are some of George Mason University's most famous alumni:

Bryan Caplan
Bryan Caplan
An American political scientist.
Scott Sumner
An American economist.
Ilya Somin
An American law school professor.
Peter Leeson
Peter Leeson
An American economist.
Peter Mandaville
A Scholar.
Noura Erakat
Noura Erakat
An American academic.
Christopher Coyne
Christopher Coyne
An American economics professor.
Jonathan Katz
An American cryptographer.
Garett Jones
An American economist.
Louay M. Safi
An American academic.
Dimitris Fotakis
Dimitris Fotakis
A Greek computer science professor.
Joshua Greenberg
An Academic working in sociology of scientific knowledge..