The average acceptance rate at GMU over the past 10 years is 85.64%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 87.48%. The acceptance rate at GMU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 22.00%, and the 2025 yield is 20.22%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 3.76% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of GMU applicants increased by 11.76% (2,655 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 32.90% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 87.48%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that GMU is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 20.22%. This stable yield rate reflects consistent conversion of admissions offers into actual enrollments at GMU. The stability indicates predictable enrollment outcomes and sustainable admission practices.
For the 2025 admission cycle, GMU received approximately 25,234 applications, admitted 22,074 students, and enrolled 4,464 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that GMU is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
GMU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at GMU over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 85.64%, while the most recent rate stands at 87.48%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 87.48%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 83.15% and for women is 87.75%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at GMU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 79.73% | 77.00% | 81.84% |
| 2016-17 | 80.99% 1.26% |
78.63% 1.63% |
82.87% 1.03% |
| 2017-18 | 81.32% 0.34% |
78.02% -0.61% |
84.02% 1.15% |
| 2018-19 | 81.06% -0.27% |
77.32% -0.70% |
84.15% 0.13% |
| 2019-20 | 86.74% 5.69% |
84.37% 7.06% |
89.05% 4.90% |
| 2020-21 | 89.20% 2.46% |
87.00% 2.62% |
90.92% 1.87% |
| 2021-22 | 91.00% 1.80% |
89.00% 2.00% |
93.00% 2.08% |
| 2022-23 | 90.00% -1.00% |
88.09% -0.91% |
91.64% -1.36% |
| 2023-24 | 88.83% -1.17% |
87.09% -1.01% |
90.34% -1.30% |
| 2024-25 | 87.48% -1.35% |
84.95% -2.13% |
89.72% -0.62% |
| Average | 85.64% | 83.15% | 87.75% |
GMU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 21.01% in 2015 to 20.22% in 2025, representing a 3.76% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 22.00%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at GMU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 3.76% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 21.01% | 23.74% | 19.03% |
| 2016-17 | 25.52% 4.51% |
28.76% 5.02% |
23.07% 4.04% |
| 2017-18 | 22.59% -2.94% |
25.80% -2.96% |
20.16% -2.91% |
| 2018-19 | 23.41% 0.82% |
27.31% 1.51% |
20.45% 0.29% |
| 2019-20 | 22.18% -1.23% |
22.97% -4.34% |
21.46% 1.01% |
| 2020-21 | 18.83% -3.35% |
21.97% -1.00% |
16.49% -4.97% |
| 2021-22 | 21.00% 2.17% |
25.00% 3.03% |
18.00% 1.51% |
| 2022-23 | 23.02% 2.02% |
26.35% 1.36% |
20.27% 2.26% |
| 2023-24 | 22.19% -0.83% |
25.36% -0.99% |
19.54% -0.73% |
| 2024-25 | 20.22% -1.97% |
23.62% -1.75% |
17.39% -2.15% |
| Average | 22.00% | 25.09% | 19.59% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 20,218, the average number of admitted is 17,371, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 3,790.
The number of GMU applicants increased by 11.76% (2,655 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 32.90% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at George Mason University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 18,987 | 15,138 | 3,181 |
| 2016-17 | 15,548 -18.11% |
12,592 -16.82% |
3,214 1.04% |
| 2017-18 | 18,993 22.16% |
15,446 22.67% |
3,489 8.56% |
| 2018-19 | 19,557 2.97% |
15,852 2.63% |
3,711 6.36% |
| 2019-20 | 19,554 -0.02% |
16,962 7.00% |
3,763 1.40% |
| 2020-21 | 21,198 8.41% |
18,909 11.48% |
3,561 -5.37% |
| 2021-22 | 20,527 -3.17% |
18,680 -1.21% |
3,923 10.17% |
| 2022-23 | 20,001 -2.56% |
18,001 -3.63% |
4,144 5.63% |
| 2023-24 | 22,579 12.89% |
20,057 11.42% |
4,451 7.41% |
| 2024-25 | 25,234 11.76% |
22,074 10.06% |
4,464 0.29% |
| Average | 20,218 | 17,371 | 3,790 |
The following table compares George Mason University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University | 88.83% | 87.48% | -1.52% |
| George Washington University | 47.09% | 43.54% | 8.15% |
| University of Richmond | 22.20% | 23.31% | -4.76% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 92.62% | 93.06% | -0.47% |
| Davidson College | 13.37% | 14.48% | -7.67% |
| Saint Louis University | 75.04% | 81.47% | -7.89% |
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