Penn State vs. Mason

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or George Mason University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Mason is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Penn State Main Campus vs. George Mason University comparison
Penn State Main Campus George Mason University College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus George Mason University
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Overview

 Penn State Mason
Location University Park, PA Fairfax, VA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 50,399 39,527
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #239
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu gmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Mason
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $10,095
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $35,677
Room & Board $13,030 $15,151
Avg Net Price $27,450 $18,900
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $11,311
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 72%

Admission

 Penn State Mason
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 22,579
Admitted 46,605 20,057
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 88.8%
Enrolled % 19.4% 22.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.68
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 25/30
SAT Range 1220/1400 1140/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Mason
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Mason
Graduation Rate 87% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $204

Diversity

 Penn State Mason
% Men 8% 13%
% Women 8% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 43%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 11% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 Penn State Mason
% In-State 51% 77%
% Out-of-State 40% 16%

Campus

 Penn State Mason
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Mason based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 39,527 students)

Penn State vs. Mason Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Mason?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 94.9% more expensive to attend than Mason for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $10,095.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.1% higher at Penn State than George Mason University ($39,626.00 vs. $35,677.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at George Mason University than Penn State ($18,900 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 16.3% lower than costs at George Mason University ($13,030 vs. $15,151)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at George Mason University than Penn State Main Campus (72% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 2.4% larger than aid received George Mason University ($11,577 vs. $11,311)

Penn State vs. Mason Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Mason? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Mason or Penn State .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 49 points higher than at Mason (1153)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Mason (26)
  • Mason has a higher acceptance rate (88.8%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Penn State vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Mason? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Mason and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than George Mason University (87% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from George Mason University earn on average $6,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $55,300)
  • George Mason University students graduate with a $7,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Mason graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More Mason graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/