George Mason University draws students from all over the world, but its student body is dominated by residents of northern Virginia. Of the over 33,000 students who attend classes each term, about 20,800 are undergraduates, and 12,500 are enrolled in graduate and professional programs. Many of our undergraduates are transfers, primarily from community colleges. Approximately one in four of our students are 25 years of age or older. Many of these students have families of their own, which can impact their educational activities.
Mason’s student body is the most diverse in the region: over one-third of our students are minorities, and over a quarter will be the first in their families to graduate from college. They also bring diverse life experiences to the educational community, as nearly one-third have English as a second language, and over a quarter have spent at least one year outside the United States.
The diversity students bring to their classes and other learning experiences, in terms of ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, and life experience, imparts a richness to our classrooms that is hard to attain at many other institutions. Faculty members who can effectively tap this reservoir of knowledge and experience can significantly enhance their own and their students’ learning. For more information about Mason’s students, faculty, and staff, please see: http://irr.gmu.edu.