Why Live on Campus?

Congratulations on being accepted to George Mason University! You've done the hard parts: kept your high school GPA up, became the mayor of extracurricular city, earned solid scores on your SATs, and wrote a killer essay. Now's the time to apply to live on campus.

When You're Here, You're Home

Living at George Mason University is one of the best ways to get the most out of your college experience.

As part of the on-campus community, you'll have front-door access to the best services and amenities available to Mason students.

The newly renovated Fenwick Library, multiple fitness and recreation facilities, dining, and more are just a short walk away. Want to grab some coffee at Starbucks with a friend before an all-night study marathon? The 24-hour café in Northern Neck Hall is the place to fuel your inspiration.

You'll never be late for class because you couldn't find a parking spot.

And at the end of a long and stressful week of studying, your comfy bed is a few steps away.

With free Wi-Fi, you can get ahead on next week's assignments, or maybe just relax for a while and stream a few of your favorite shows.

Male student enjoys ice cream at a Residence Life social event at George Mason University

Ah, the sweet life. Enjoy the full campus experience by living at Mason and enjoying social gatherings like the block party in Presidents' Park.

Since the Fall of 2016, all incoming freshmen are required to live on campus unless you file for an exemption for a local commute or non-traditional student status. But chances are, you're seriously considering living here and enjoying the full college experience.

Here are our top 10 reasons why living on campus at Mason is a great choice:

You can’t get any closer to the action than having a room here. Start building friendships and your social network on the day you arrive through fun mixers, workshops and events.

No NoVA traffic jams or Metro delays to endure. Make the most of your time by living in walkable distance to class, your lab, the library, the dining hall or the gym.

In on-campus housing, you get the opportunity to meet and make friends with people from outside your department or program. You’ll gain a fresh perspective and be introduced to new ideas through the common bonds of collegiate life.

Students can attend sports events, concerts, and theatrical productions for free or at greatly reduced rates. An awesome night out starts with no parking hassles, a group to go with, and dining options nearby.

Classes, labs, recitations, and discussion groups don’t really roll on a 9-to-5 schedule — the average academic week can be a little erratic. If you live on campus, you don’t have to worry about a four-hour gap between commitments. Stop by Ike’s or the Globe for a bite, then head to your room for some quality study time.

Do you live within walking distance to an indoor Olympic-size pool and athletic training facility? How about a Level-1 Research Library? Is there a robotics lab or maker space nearby? When you call Mason home, all these amenities and more are steps away.

When you live in the residence halls, room fees cover more than just the roof over your head. Add up such services as cable TV, high-speed Internet, climate control, electricity, water and sanitation, and transportation costs, and you’ll quickly see the value of living at Mason over paying those expenses off campus. Not to mention, you don’t have to save your quarters for laundry. From spin-cycle to tumble-dry, your cost is covered (if only someone could fold it for you).

You don’t have to turn down a great on-campus opportunity because it happens in the middle of D.C. rush hour, and you don’t have to waste valuable study time in bumper-to-bumper traffic. If you need one more source for that research paper that's due tomorrow, just lace up your shoes and jog over to Fenwick.

Do you ever feel like the walls are closing in? Have you outgrown doing group projects around your dining room table at home? All the residence halls at Mason feature common space that is perfect for studying, meeting with classmates or just hanging out.

Sleep is precious. The next four years will shape your future. And we know that sometimes means burning the candle at both ends. You perform better when you've had adequate sleep. When it’s time to study the inside of your eyelids, it’s a nice feeling to know that you don’t have to fight with traffic to catch up on sleep.