Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Mason

Should I go to Penn State Lehigh Valley or George Mason University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley vs. George Mason University comparison
Penn State Lehigh Valley George Mason University College 3 College 4
George Mason University
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Overview

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
Location Center Valley, PA Fairfax, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 888 39,049
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #228
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu gmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $9,795
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $35,377
Room & Board $12,984 $13,120
Avg Net Price $18,142 $18,479
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $10,760
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 74%

Admission

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 20,001
Admitted 1,699 18,001
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 90%
Enrolled % 15.7% 23%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.68
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 25/31
SAT Range 1100/1290 1140/1350
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, 2025

Academics

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Lehigh Valley Mason
% Men 57% 48%
% Women 43% 52%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 43%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 16% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

Penn State Lehigh Valley Mason
% In-State 93% 77%
% Out-of-State 6% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • George Mason University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (39,049 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Mason Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Mason?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 49.3% more expensive to attend than Mason for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $9,795.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.5% higher at Mason than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($35,377.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Mason ($18,142 vs. $18,479)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 1% lower than costs at George Mason University ($12,984 vs. $13,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than George Mason University (78% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by George Mason University students is 8.8% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($10,760 vs. $9,886)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Mason Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at George Mason University (1153) is 134 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Mason students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman Mason students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Mason (90%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at Mason is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (64% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from George Mason University earn on average $6,600 more per year than Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Mason graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More Mason graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/