George Mason University (GMU) vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

George Mason University (GMU) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are two highly regarded institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. GMU, located in Fairfax, Virginia, is a public research university known for its strong programs in engineering, business, and information technology. UNC, situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a public research university with a long history of academic excellence, particularly in the liberal arts, sciences, and medicine. While both universities share similarities in terms of their academic rigor and commitment to student success, there are several key differences between them. These include acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. To help you make an informed decision about which university is the best fit for you, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights these differences.
George Mason University logo

George Mason University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Location Fairfax, Virginia Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.3% 20.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1140 - 1350 1140 - 1380
ACT range 25 - 30 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 37.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 20,527 50,729
Total number of admissions given out 18,741 10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,986 4,690
Yield rate 21.3% 45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $35,263

Out of state: $58,723
In state: $24,770

Out of state: $52,633
Average net price $18,841 $11,508
Tuition
In state: $9,510

Out of state: $32,970
In state: $7,019

Out of state: $34,882
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,620

Meal plan: $5,010
Room/dormitory: $6,878

Meal plan: $5,004
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

70.0%
Average amount $10,110
42.0%
Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $5,006
17.0%
Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $18,474
3.0%
Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 26,882
Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students 11,746
Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 18.9% 16.2%
International students 8.0% 6.8%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,513 9,984
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 70.1% 90.5%
Dropout rate 9.6% 3.7%
Transferred out 16.5% 5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $168,979
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $238,213
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,965
  • Year 2: $127,836
  • Year 3: $150,089
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,248
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $128,102
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,961
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $117,488
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,271
  • Year 2: $86,036
  • Year 3: $96,602
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,162
  • Year 2: $72,083
  • Year 3: $95,204
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,938
  • Year 2: $73,823
  • Year 3: $89,917
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,557
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $87,057
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,899
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $86,155
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,205
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $82,520

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The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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