Rankings and Accreditation

Key Facts About the Schar School at George Mason

  • The Schar School is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the global standard in public service education. 

  • The Department of State listed Mason as one of the top ten “feeder schools” for the Foreign Service. Since 2013, 61 Mason graduates have been selected for the Foreign Service—10 more than Harvard University and 20 more than the University of Virginia.

  • The Schar School is mentioned in U.S. media approximately 300 times each month. Read our media mentions. 

Many rankings programs do not release rankings every year. These represent the most recent rankings.

US News & World Report,
2025 Best Graduate Schools

No. 4  in Homeland Security (Best in Virginia)

No. 13 in Nonprofit Management (Best in Virginia)

No. 24 in Public Finance (Best in Virginia)

No. 34 in Public Policy Analysis

No. 39 Overall Among Public Affairs Institutions

Foreign Policy Magazine

Top Master's Programs for Policy Career in International Relations

ShanghaiRanking, 2022

No. 76 in the world for public administration programs