George Mason University is ranked No. 3 nationally among public institutions and No. 7 overall for its online master’s programs, according to a new survey by OnlineU: 2021 Best Online Colleges & Degrees.
We are proud at Mason of the work we are doing through online programs that provides our students the opportunity to advance their education and achieve their goals—we are proud that it provides access to excellence, which is a primary university value,” Mason Provost Mark Ginsberg said. “Our online graduate programs, which are highly rated, respected and affordable, also are highly valued by our faculty and students.”
Mason’s mission is to make education accessible and affordable for all students, from the 18-year-old freshman to the adult learner who is working while trying to earn a degree and who may live far from a college campus.
Mason’s partnership with Wiley Education Services expanded the scope of Mason’s online graduate programs and demonstrated the university’s commitment to providing transformative educational opportunities.
With 72 programs (62 graduate, 10 undergraduate) available either fully online or as hybrids, Mason is committed to delivering high-quality and affordable education to all learners at a time and place that best fits their lives.
In the OnlineU rankings, Mason is No. 7 out of 217 U.S. institutions for online master’s degree programs among private and public universities. Mason’s tuition was the lowest reported among the top 10 institutions in this category. Among public universities, Mason made the No. 3 spot with a return on investment (ROI) score of 83.1%.
According to the website’s methodology, the rankings were calculated based on projected 10-year ROI that accounted for salaries after graduation and student debt from federal loans paid over a 10-year period. Median salaries were provided by PayScale. Other information was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics.
In OnlineU rankings from 2020 that were updated on Oct. 5, Mason’s online biology master’s program was No. 3 nationally among public universities and No. 14 overall. In rankings updated on Oct. 1, Mason’s online undergraduate psychology program was No. 8 among public universities and No. 23 overall.