St. Mary's vs. Mason

Should I go to St Mary's College of Maryland or George Mason University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's 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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St Mary's College of Maryland vs. George Mason University comparison
St Mary's College of Maryland George Mason University College 3 College 4
St Mary's College of Maryland George Mason University
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Overview

St. Mary's Mason
Location St. Mary's City, MD Fairfax, VA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,587 39,527
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #148 #239
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu gmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's Mason
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $10,095
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $35,677
Room & Board $14,672 $15,151
Avg Net Price $20,679 $18,900
Avg Grant Aid $11,016 $11,311
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 72%

Admission

St. Mary's Mason
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,109 22,579
Admitted 2,344 20,057
Acceptance Rate 75.4% 88.8%
Enrolled % 18.9% 22.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.68
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 25/30
SAT Range 1110/1330 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 Jan 15, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

St. Mary's Mason
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's Mason
Graduation Rate 79% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $210 $204

Diversity

St. Mary's Mason
% Men 0% 13%
% Women 0% 17%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 43%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

St. Mary's Mason
% In-State 86% 77%
% Out-of-State 14% 16%

Campus

St. Mary's Mason
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • George Mason University is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (39,527 students vs. 1,587 students)

St. Mary's vs. Mason Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Mason?

  • St Mary's College of Maryland is 20% more expensive to attend than Mason for in-state tuition ($12,116.00 vs. $10,095.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.6% higher at Mason than St Mary's College of Maryland ($35,677.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at George Mason University than St. Mary's ($18,900 vs. $20,679)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Mary's College of Maryland are 3.3% lower than costs at George Mason University ($14,672 vs. $15,151)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than George Mason University (98% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by George Mason University students is 2.7% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($11,311 vs. $11,016)

St. Mary's vs. Mason Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at George Mason University (1153) is 8 points higher than at St. Mary's (1145)
  • Incoming Mason students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's (25)
  • Accepted freshman Mason students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • Mason has a higher acceptance rate (88.8%) than St. Mary's (75.4%)

St. Mary's vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than George Mason University (79% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from George Mason University earn on average $10,400 more per year than St. Mary's graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $51,500)
  • George Mason University students graduate with a $620 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's graduates. ($19,750 vs. $20,370)
  • Mason graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's graduates. ($204 vs. $210)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mason students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 73%)

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