COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · FAIRFAX, VA

Is George Mason University worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A George Mason University degree clears +$1.93M in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Fairfax, Virginia, priced as a Virginia resident — earnings rolled up from 51 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

George Mason University · Fairfax, VA

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$1.93M
30-year net value · non-resident
+$1.11M
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$65,354
Breaks even by age
37
Annual tuition · Virginia resident
$13,815
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$37,979
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$115,864
Total cost of attendance · out-of-state
$212,520
FREOPP program coverage
51 programs

The out-of-state tax in Virginia, ranked

How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

George Mason University runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Virginia’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 51 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is George Mason University worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: George Mason University clears +$1.93M in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $115,864 and median earnings of $65,354 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at George Mason University?
George Mason University's annual sticker tuition is $13,815 for Virginia residents and $37,979 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $115,864 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of George Mason University?
Over 4 years, George Mason University's sticker cost of attendance is $115,864 at resident pricing, or $212,520 out-of-state — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Virginia prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $65,354.
What is out-of-state tuition at George Mason University?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at George Mason University is $37,979, versus $13,815 for Virginia residents — a premium of $24,164 a year. Even at the non-resident rate, George Mason University clears positive 30-year net value.
How long until a George Mason University degree pays for itself?
The degree path overtakes the skip-college path around age 37 under our defaults — from there the gap only widens, ending +$1.93M ahead at the 30-year horizon.
What could change the number for George Mason University?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices George Mason University as a Virginia resident; at non-resident tuition it still clears +$1.11M, but the gap is real money (see the out-of-state tax in Virginia). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is George Mason University worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/george-mason-university