George Mason University was named the top young university in the United States in the recently released 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings.
Mason placed No. 41 out of 475 universities around the world that are 50 years old or younger. Other U.S. universities that made the list include Rush University (No. 52), University of California, Merced (No. 57), and Florida International University (No. 86).
"That George Mason University has emerged at such a young age as one of America's fastest growing and most diverse public research universities is a testament to the caliber of our students and our world-class faculty,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “The superior ranking, as well as our recognition as an R1 research institution, reinforces our commitment to innovation and leadership as a community that is ready to take on the world's grand challenges."
The London-based education data provider, THE, scored universities on 13 performance indicators, judging across core missions that include teaching (the learning environment; 30%), research (volume, income and reputation; 30%), citations (research influence; 30%), international outlook (staff, students and research; 7.5%) and industry income (knowledge transfer; 2.5%).
In addition to being the No. 1 young university in the United States, and No. 41 internationally, Mason has advanced in THE’s Young University Rankings throughout the years. In 2012, Mason was ranked No. 57, and in 2019 the university came in at No. 47.