10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$52,070at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · 100 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 98 · Federal debt reported for 51
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$52,070 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
8.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+21%Estimated return after 10 years
$75,373Observed earnings · year 5
$30,933Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $13,018 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $15,725 housing and food allowance plus $9,091 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$123,730
$10,000Annual price+$83,730
$18,000Current college-wide context+$51,730
$20,000Annual price+$43,730
$30,000Annual price+$3,730
$40,000Annual price−$36,270
$50,000Annual price−$76,270
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
408 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Virginia run 1% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$17,915Average net price / year
$28,604Cost of attendance
$19,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$207/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$75,373Median earnings · year 5 after completion
67.8%Completion rate
87.5%Admission rate
1,274Average SAT score
28ACT midpoint
27,752Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about George Mason University
What does George Mason University cost?
George Mason University reports an average annual net price of $17,915 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do George Mason University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $75,373 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do George Mason University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $19,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at George Mason University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 100 field-and-degree records for George Mason University; 98 report year-4 earnings and 51 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
47,801Students enrolled at any point
33,560Undergraduate students
14,241Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
76% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
1,808 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
71% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$77,805Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$77,712Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$72,775Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income67%
Middle income74%
Higher income78%
Undergraduate student composition
White32%
Black13%
Hispanic18%
Asian23%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Doctoral, research/scholarship · Broad federal field 14
$102,529Year 1
$170,655Year 5
$187,828Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$100,930Year 1
$143,394Year 5
$181,676Year 10
Anthropology.Doctoral, research/scholarship · Broad federal field 45
$95,378Year 1
$94,389Year 5
$171,106Year 10
Law.Doctoral, professional practice · Broad federal field 22
$89,550Year 1
$132,347Year 5
$169,075Year 10
Computer Programming.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$98,849Year 1
$142,714Year 5
$167,497Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 14
$100,918Year 1
$139,773Year 5
$165,855Year 10
Communication and Media Studies.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 09
$73,728Year 1
$94,046Year 5
$160,199Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$78,652Year 1
$117,742Year 5
$150,053Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$55,366Year 1
$78,425Year 4
$75,373Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications · Master's Degree$167,3632Computer Software and Media Applications · Master's Degree$162,6913Computer Engineering · Master's Degree$158,0294Homeland Security · Master's Degree$154,1585Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$148,1716Homeland Security · Bachelor's Degree$143,9727Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$142,6908Law · First Professional Degree$135,661Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Homeland SecurityBachelor's Degree · $143,972 reported+105%vs same-degree national median$21,741federal debt2Homeland SecurityMaster's Degree · $154,158 reported+59%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Psychology, GeneralMaster's Degree · $102,945 reported+59%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsMaster's Degree · $167,363 reported+46%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Geography and CartographyMaster's Degree · $114,744 reported+44%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Health and Medical Administrative ServicesMaster's Degree · $124,416 reported+38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in VA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Lexington, VA
Virginia Military Institute
- Annual net price
- $17,113
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $79,378
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +38%
William & Mary
- Annual net price
- $19,096
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $71,273
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +2%
James Madison University
- Annual net price
- $23,322
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,066
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -12%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Annual net price
- $24,953
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $80,730
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +28%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 100 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Master's Degree | $167,363 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's Degree | $162,691 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Master's Degree | $158,029 | Not available | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Master's Degree | $154,158 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $148,171 | Not available | 13 |
| Homeland Security | Bachelor's Degree | $143,972 | $21,741 | 2 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $142,690 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $135,661 | Not available | Not reported |
| Systems Engineering | Master's Degree | $135,210 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $134,691 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Doctoral Degree | $128,100 | Not available | 17 |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $124,978 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $124,416 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | Master's Degree | $123,627 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $119,531 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $117,942 | $26,697 | 6 |
| Systems Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $114,815 | $21,000 | 1 |
| Geography and Cartography | Master's Degree | $114,744 | Not available | Not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Master's Degree | $114,727 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $111,251 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $110,754 | $23,250 | 0 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $110,482 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $109,911 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, General | Doctoral Degree | $105,869 | Not available | 53 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $103,586 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $103,074 | $26,725 | 2 |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $102,945 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $100,692 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $100,525 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $99,147 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $97,926 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Doctoral Degree | $97,632 | Not available | 17 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $97,049 | $18,500 | 1 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,467 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $96,138 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,856 | $23,812 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,533 | $23,625 | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Master's Degree | $93,214 | Not available | Not reported |
| Security Science and Technology | Master's Degree | $92,064 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $91,132 | $21,500 | 68 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every George Mason University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.