Colleges
2
1 in the 2027 U.S. News rankings
Students
39,766
2025 school year
International
4,259
10.7% of students
Intl. undergrad / grad
1,574 / 2,685
2025 school year
International students by year
UndergraduateGraduate
From 2013 to 2025, international students grew 132% and their share of students went from 5.6% to 10.7%.
Living in Fairfax
32–50°F50–64°F64–77°Fcoloured by monthly mean temperature
Jan is the coldest month, averaging 23 to 42°F; Jul is the warmest, 67 to 84°F; 19 in of snow a year, 44 in of precipitation a year.
- Community
- 20%of residents in Fairfax County are Asian; 31% were born outside the U.S. (nationwide: 6.0% and 14%)
- Cost of living
- 108.9price index for the Washington, DC metro area (U.S. = 100): 9% above the national average; housing is 51% above
- Rent
- $1,954median one-bedroom rent in Fairfax County; two-bedroom $2,273, U.S. one-bedroom $1,235
- Income
- $153,637median household income in Fairfax County (U.S. $80,734)
Data: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2020–2024; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024; NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Temperatures are from the Vienna weather station (about 4 mi away). Rent is the median gross rent (utilities included) across all renters; asking rents for new leases are usually higher.
Colleges in Fairfax, Virginia
| Rank | School | Type | Students | International | International share | Acceptance rate | Undergraduate tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #121 |  George Mason University |
Public, 4-year | 39,766 | 4,259 | 10.7% | 87% | $38,688 |
| — | UUniversity of North America | Private for-profit, 4-year | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Admit rate is the latest first-year admit rate (blank for colleges without or with very few first-year applicants); tuition is out-of-state tuition and fees. Source: U.S. Department of Education.
Popular majors in Fairfax, Virginia
Most-awarded degrees at colleges in the city, 2025
Bachelor's
| Program | Graduates | International |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 1,093 | 106 10% |
| Information Technology 2 colleges | 468 | 19 4% |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 423 | 36 9% |
| Psychology, General | 389 | 10 3% |
| Criminal Justice/Police Science | 316 | 4 1% |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 262 | 10 4% |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 191 | 8 4% |
| Political Science and Government, Other | 175 | 10 6% |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 170 | 3 2% |
| General Studies | 169 | 2 1% |
Master's
| Program | Graduates | International |
|---|---|---|
| Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration | 402 | 311 77% |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 393 | 328 83% |
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 238 | 10 4% |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 232 | 5 2% |
| Business Administration and Management, General 2 colleges | 225 | 93 41% |
| Information Science/Studies | 127 | 121 95% |
| Information Technology 2 colleges | 126 | 71 56% |
| Social Work | 109 | 1 1% |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 102 | 1 1% |
| International Relations and National Security Studies, Other | 88 | 3 3% |
First majors only. Source: U.S. Department of Education.
Other cities in Virginia
| City | Colleges | Students | International |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 1 | 39,766 | 4,259 |
| Blacksburg | 2 | 41,474 | 4,171 |
| Charlottesville | 2 | 31,672 | 2,638 |
| Annandale | 1 | 56,457 | 2,435 |
| Richmond | 12 | 40,918 | 1,457 |
| Norfolk | 10 | 49,252 | 1,399 |
| Alexandria | 1 | 1,096 | 1,020 |
| Lynchburg | 7 | 111,915 | 965 |
| Williamsburg | 1 | 9,818 | 526 |
| University of Richmond | 1 | 3,722 | 403 |
| Arlington | 5 | 7,222 | 361 |
| Harrisonburg | 2 | 23,894 | 332 |
| Virginia Beach | 12 | 28,168 | 269 |
| Lexington | 2 | 3,768 | 204 |
| FALLS CHURCH | 4 | 1,730 | 195 |
| Hampton | 2 | 10,654 | 140 |
| Danville | 4 | 4,079 | 130 |
| Chester | 2 | 9,459 | 125 |
| Roanoke | 4 | 7,577 | 124 |
| Fredericksburg | 2 | 4,003 | 108 |
| vienna | 5 | 1,253 | 104 |
| Locust Grove | 1 | 8,544 | 93 |
| Winchester | 1 | 4,454 | 91 |
| Farmville | 1 | 4,612 | 87 |
| Radford | 1 | 7,812 | 83 |
| Middletown | 1 | 5,902 | 77 |
| Weyers Cave | 1 | 3,790 | 68 |
| Salem | 2 | 2,574 | 68 |
| Dublin | 1 | 4,254 | 62 |
| Petersburg | 3 | 5,721 | 60 |
| Alberta | 1 | 3,306 | 53 |
| Bridgewater | 1 | 1,448 | 50 |
| Staunton | 2 | 1,796 | 47 |
| Emory | 1 | 1,311 | 39 |
| Sweet Briar | 1 | 444 | 38 |
| Glenns | 1 | 2,962 | 24 |
| South Prince George | 1 | 2,788 | 23 |
| Newport News | 5 | 5,114 | 18 |
| Melfa | 1 | 859 | 18 |
| Ashland | 2 | 1,694 | 17 |
| Chesapeake | 3 | 652 | 15 |
| Bluefield | 1 | 959 | 14 |
| Martinsville | 1 | 1,908 | 13 |
| Buena Vista | 1 | 936 | 13 |
| Wytheville | 1 | 2,107 | 10 |
| Cedar Bluff | 1 | 2,364 | 9 |
| Franklin | 1 | 1,219 | 9 |
| Abingdon | 1 | 2,082 | 8 |
| Clifton Forge | 1 | 989 | 8 |
| Oakwood | 1 | 113 | 6 |
| Hampden-Sydney | 1 | 946 | 5 |
| Glen Allen | 1 | 395 | 5 |
| Ferrum | 1 | 763 | 4 |
| Grundy | 1 | 154 | 2 |
| Big Stone Gap | 1 | 2,116 | 1 |
| Wise | 1 | 2,167 | 0 |
| Sterling | 1 | 463 | 0 |
| Purcellville | 1 | 425 | 0 |
| Manassas | 1 | 272 | 0 |
| Colonial Heights | 1 | 151 | 0 |
| Midlothian | 1 | 125 | 0 |
| Gainesville | 1 | 83 | 0 |
| Reston | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Culpeper | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Newport News | 1 | 17 | 0 |
Student counts: IPEDS Fall Enrollment, US Department of Education; 2025 is the latest year. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News National Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges.