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Programs & majors brief

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# George Mason University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/george-mason-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/george-mason-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/george-mason-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/george-mason-university/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/george-mason-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at GMU?

George Mason University fields 48 ranked bachelor's programs, and the highest-earning among them reach well into six figures four years after completion. Homeland Security tops the list at $143,972, though it awarded 122 degrees.

Computer Engineering follows at $117,942 with 32 degrees awarded, and Systems Engineering reaches $114,815 alongside 25 degrees awarded. The largest program, Computer and Information Sciences, awarded 757 degrees and shows median earnings of $110,754, ranking #22 nationally in its field.

Management Science earned $97,049 with 371 degrees awarded and an Azimuth field rank of #16. In more moderate-earning fields, Psychology awarded 405 degrees and reports median earnings of $62,563, while Criminal Justice reached $69,511 on 329 degrees awarded, ranking #4 in its field.

### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

-   Business**1,249 · 19.9%**
-   Computer science**779 · 12.4%**
-   Health professions**516 · 8.2%**
-   Social sciences**515 · 8.2%**
-   Homeland security**480 · 7.7%**
-   Other**2,734 · 43.6%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

63 of 63 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Homeland Security 122 degrees awarded**
$143,972

**Computer Engineering 32 degrees awarded**
$117,942

**Systems Engineering 25 degrees awarded**
$114,815

**Computer and Information Sciences, General 757 degrees awarded**
$110,754

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 62 degrees awarded**
$103,074

**Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 371 degrees awarded**
$97,049

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs

Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homeland Security | 122 | $143,972 | #1 |
| Computer Engineering | 32 | $117,942 | #50 |
| Systems Engineering | 25 | $114,815 | #6 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 757 | $110,754 | #22 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 62 | $103,074 | #80 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 371 | $97,049 | #16 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 75 | $96,467 | #86 |
| Physics | 22 | $96,138 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 93 | $93,856 | #25 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 42 | $93,533 | #58 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 182 | $91,132 | #49 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 222 | $89,878 | #111 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 120 | $88,080 | #66 |
| Economics | 79 | $87,548 | #80 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 166 | $85,224 | #50 |
| Chemistry | 40 | $77,681 | #22 |
| Mathematics | 57 | $77,519 | #76 |
| Geography and Cartography | 21 | $74,692 | #6 |
| Political Science and Government | 205 | $74,125 | #49 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 44 | $72,271 | #3 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 329 | $69,511 | #4 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 166 | $69,399 | #26 |
| Marketing | 119 | $69,210 | #103 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 70 | $68,546 | #20 |
| Public Administration | 34 | $67,973 | #12 |
| Public Health | 174 | $65,358 | #28 |
| Sociology | 21 | $64,603 | #38 |
| Biology, General | 293 | $64,301 | #74 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 96 | $64,046 | #10 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 95 | $63,672 | #44 |
| Security Science and Technology | 29 | $63,182 | #10 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 46 | $62,727 | #26 |
| Psychology, General | 405 | $62,563 | #25 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 21 | $62,383 | #14 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 33 | $61,565 | #14 |
| Sustainability Studies | 47 | $61,216 | #5 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 321 | $61,100 | #23 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 45 | $60,874 | #51 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 41 | $59,979 | #31 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 23 | $58,931 | #21 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 106 | $56,071 | #55 |
| Social Work | 65 | $55,715 | #62 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 113 | $54,703 | #2 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 11 | $53,441 | — |
| History | 74 | $51,168 | #121 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 42 | $50,086 | #27 |
| Graphic Communications | 53 | $47,440 | #6 |
| Music | 42 | $46,765 | #59 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 33 | $45,656 | #23 |
| Dance | 20 | $36,901 | #28 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 153 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Science | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Statistics small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 44 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Anthropology | 23 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Business/Commerce, General | 245 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at GMU?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Computer and Information Sciences, General**
757

**Psychology, General**
405

**Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods**
371

**Criminal Justice and Corrections**
329

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**
321

**Biology, General**
293

**Business/Commerce, General**
245

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**
222

**Political Science and Government**
205

**Accounting and Related Services**
182

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do GMU majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Homeland Security**#1**
2.  Visual and Performing Arts, General**#2**
3.  Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution**#3**
4.  Criminal Justice and Corrections**#4**
5.  Sustainability Studies**#5**
6.  Graphic Communications**#6**
7.  Systems Engineering**#6**
8.  Geography and Cartography**#6**
9.  Security Science and Technology**#10**
10.  Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other**#10**
11.  Public Administration**#12**
12.  Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#14**
13.  Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies**#14**
14.  Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods**#16**
15.  Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#20**
16.  Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services**#21**
17.  Computer and Information Sciences, General**#22**
18.  Chemistry**#22**
19.  Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#23**
20.  Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft**#23**
21.  Civil Engineering**#25**
22.  Psychology, General**#25**
23.  International Relations and National Security Studies**#26**
24.  Hospitality Administration/Management**#26**
25.  Film/Video and Photographic Arts**#27**
26.  Dance**#28**
27.  Public Health**#28**
28.  Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas**#31**
29.  Sociology**#38**
30.  Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**#44**
31.  Political Science and Government**#49**
32.  Accounting and Related Services**#49**
33.  Computer Engineering**#50**
34.  Business Administration, Management and Operations**#50**

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

The return a student sees from George Mason University depends heavily on the field they choose, and [Azimuth's program ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s are built to make that variation clear. They evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation.

The university has 48 ranked programs and earnings data for 50 fields. The degree mix is led by Business, which accounts for 19.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Computer & Information Sciences at 12.4% and Health Professions at 8.2%.

The largest single program is Computer and Information Sciences, with 757 degrees awarded in a year, and Azimuth ranks it #22 nationally. Graduates from that program earn a median of $110,754 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Homeland Security, with 122 degrees awarded, where graduates earn $143,972. The best-ranked program nationally is Homeland Security, at #1 in its field.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).