The New School vs. Mason

Deciding between The New School and George Mason University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

The New School
George Mason University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • The New School New York, NY
  • Mason Fairfax, VA
  • Setting
  • The New School Large City
  • Mason Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • The New School 9,068
  • Mason 39,766
  • Type
  • The New School Private 4 Year
  • Mason Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • The New School #164
  • Mason #243
  • Religious Affiliation
  • The New School -
  • Mason -
  • Status
  • The New School Non-profit
  • Mason Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • The New School
  • Mason
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • Mason $14,220
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • The New School $58,694
  • Mason $38,688
  • Room & Board
  • The New School $25,337
  • Mason $15,725
  • Average Net Price
  • The New School $67,224
  • Mason $18,823
  • Average Grant Aid
  • The New School $22,174
  • Mason $12,852
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • The New School 94%
  • Mason 71%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • The New School 9,828
  • Mason 25,234
  • Admitted
  • The New School 6,238
  • Mason 22,074
  • Acceptance Rate
  • The New School 63.5%
  • Mason 87.5%
  • Enrolled
  • The New School 21.3%
  • Mason 20.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • The New School 1250
  • Mason 1260
  • Typical ACT score
  • The New School 28
  • Mason 27
  • Average High School GPA
  • The New School 3.59
  • Mason 3.68
  • Typical High School Grades
  • The New School A-
  • Mason A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • The New School Difficult
  • Mason Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • The New School Low
  • Mason
  • ACT Range
  • The New School 26/30
  • Mason 25/30
  • SAT Range
  • The New School 1140/1360
  • Mason 1160/1360
  • Submit Test Scores
  • The New School Test-free
  • Mason Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • The New School
  • Mason Feb 1, 2027
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • The New School 9:1
  • Mason 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • The New School
    • Visual and Performing Arts (62%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Foreign Languages (4%)
    • Social Sciences (3%)
  • Mason
    • Business (23%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • English and Literature (10%)
    • Psychology (8%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • The New School 61%
  • Mason 64%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • The New School $52,700
  • Mason $61,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • The New School 65%
  • Mason 73%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • The New School $23,872
  • Mason $19,750
  • Median Loan Payment
  • The New School $246
  • Mason $204
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • The New School 25%
  • Mason 49%
  • % Women
  • The New School 75%
  • Mason 51%
  • Racial Diversity
  • The New School Very High
  • Mason Very High
  • HBCU
  • The New School No
  • Mason No
  • % White
  • The New School 33%
  • Mason 43%
  • % Asian
  • The New School 9%
  • Mason 19%
  • % Black
  • The New School 6%
  • Mason 11%
  • % Hispanic
  • The New School 12%
  • Mason 13%
  • % Native American
  • The New School 0%
  • Mason 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • The New School 0%
  • Mason 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • The New School 4%
  • Mason 5%
  • % International
  • The New School 32%
  • Mason 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • The New School 4%
  • Mason 5%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • The New School 13%
  • Mason 77%
  • % Out-of-State
  • The New School 48%
  • Mason 14%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • The New School Yes
  • Mason Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • The New School No
  • Mason No
  • Meal Plan
  • The New School Yes
  • Mason Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • The New School Yes
  • Mason No
  • Daycare Facility
  • The New School No
  • Mason Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare The New School in New York, NY with George Mason University in Fairfax, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

George Mason University is larger than The New School based on total student enrollment (39,766 students vs. 9,068 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • The New School is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); George Mason University is in Fairfax, VA (Large Suburban setting).
  • The New School is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. George Mason University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: The New School 9:1; George Mason University 16:1.

The New School vs. Mason Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, The New School or Mason? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at George Mason University than The New School ($18,823 vs. $67,224).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at George Mason University are 37.9% lower than at The New School ($15,725 vs. $25,337).
  • The New School is 312.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than Mason (about $44,474 more per year; $58,694.00 vs. $14,220.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 51.7% higher at The New School than at George Mason University (about $20,006 more per year; $58,694.00 vs. $38,688.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The New School than at George Mason University (94% vs. 71%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The New School students is 72.5% larger than aid received by George Mason University students ($22,174 vs. $12,852).

The New School vs. Mason Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, The New School or Mason? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Mason and The New School.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at George Mason University (1260) is 10 points higher than at The New School (1250).
  • Incoming The New School students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (28 vs. 27 at Mason).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 1140/1360; George Mason University 1160/1360.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: The New School 26/30; George Mason University 25/30.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: The New School - Test-free; Mason - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Mason Feb 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Mason students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at The New School (3.59).
  • Mason has a higher acceptance rate (87.5%) than The New School (63.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 21.3% at The New School vs. 20.2% at Mason.

The New School vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for The New School and Mason? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • George Mason University's six-year graduation rate (64%) is higher than The New School's (61%).
  • Graduates from George Mason University earn a median of about $9,200 more per year than The New School graduates about ten years after starting college ($61,900 vs. $52,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, George Mason University graduates have a $4,122 lower median loan debt than The New School graduates ($19,750 vs. $23,872).
  • Among borrowers, Mason graduates have an estimated $42 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than The New School graduates ($204 vs. $246).
  • More Mason graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The New School students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.