Bentley University vs George Mason University (GMU)

Bentley University and George Mason University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Bentley, a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, boasts a strong business and finance curriculum, while George Mason, a public research university in Fairfax, Virginia, excels in engineering, computer science, and public policy. With acceptance rates of 38% and 73%, respectively, these universities cater to different levels of academic competitiveness. Bentley's student body is predominantly undergraduate, with a focus on career preparation, while George Mason's diverse student population includes a significant graduate student presence and a wider range of academic pursuits. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these universities' graduation rates, popular majors, and other key differences that may influence your choice of higher education.
Bentley University logo

Bentley University

George Mason University logo

George Mason University

Overview

Location Waltham, Massachusetts Fairfax, Virginia
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 84.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 60.9% 91.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $150
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1240 - 1413 1140 - 1350
ACT range 28 - 32 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 27.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 3.0%
Total number of applicants 9,311 20,527
Total number of admissions given out 5,674 18,741
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,019 3,986
Yield rate 18.0% 21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,615
In state: $35,263

Out of state: $58,723
Average net price $41,708 $18,841
Tuition $54,910
In state: $9,510

Out of state: $32,970
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,000

Meal plan: $7,130
Room/dormitory: $7,620

Meal plan: $5,010
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

77.0%
Average amount $30,491
70.0%
Average amount $10,110
Students receiving federal student loan 44.0%
Average amount $5,402
43.0%
Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $21,755
6.0%
Average amount $18,474

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,996
Men 60.6% Women 39.4%
26,882
Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
Graduate students 1,162
Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
11,746
Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 18.9%
International students 16.8% 8.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,350 6,513
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi Connecticut New York New Jersey New Hampshire Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 88.0% 70.1%
Dropout rate 4.0% 9.6%
Transferred out 7.9% 16.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Human Computer Interaction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,979
  • Year 2: $114,892
  • Year 3: $127,918
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,349
  • Year 2: $91,211
  • Year 3: $97,271
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,364
  • Year 2: $77,039
  • Year 3: $94,863
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,051
  • Year 2: $89,968
  • Year 3: $94,192
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $81,111
  • Year 3: $93,567
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,445
  • Year 2: $79,653
  • Year 3: $93,407
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,949
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $89,245
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $77,715
  • Year 3: $83,352
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,955
  • Year 2: $68,147
  • Year 3: $80,368
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,442
  • Year 2: $64,253
  • Year 3: $79,263
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

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