George Mason University

George Mason University is a relatively new university, beginning as a branch of the University of Virginia in the 1950s before splitting off into its own institution in 1972. GMU is extremely diverse, with a large international contingent representing about 130 countries. The main campus, in suburban Fairfax, is about 15 miles from Washington, D.C., giving students vast opportunities for internships while they’re enrolled. Once a largely commuter school, GMU now requires that freshmen live on campus, and it has grown into the largest public university in Virginia, with over 38,000 students, about 27,000 of them undergraduates. It offers more than 80 undergraduate majors in its 10 schools and colleges. GMU prides itself on its values, among them innovation, integrity, inclusivity, freedom of thought and expression. The university likes to say “there’s something for everyone” on campus. Indeed, the university fields 20 men's and women's teams in Division I sports, and students not into sports can check out the more than 350 clubs, ranging from the Anime & Gaming Society to X-alt, a Christian a cappella group. The school’s mascot, the Patriot, is a nod to the university’s namesake, one of the country’s founding fathers.