Towson vs. GMU
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Anonymous
| How do these two compare? |
Anonymous
 they don't.
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Anonymous
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They are both second-tier state institutions in their respective states. That's about all I can think of that they have in common.
I would argue that Towson's campus is more attractive, but that's just a personal preference. |
Anonymous
| Is one considered a better overall school ? |
Anonymous
Maybe by program, but I think they are six of one, half dozen of the other. |
Anonymous
| Go to the one that's in your state. |
Anonymous
| According to Us News, George Mason is the 139th ranked national university. |
Anonymous
Which means nothing. Nothing at all. |
Anonymous
| I think I read somewhere that GMU's repupation is on the rise. I think a degree from there would probably lead to more opportunities based on its location (suburban DC vs. suburban MD). Also, when I applied to law school I didn't even consider GMU's law school because it was horrible but it's actually pretty decent now. I know you're not asking about law school but this may say something about the university overall. |
Anonymous
| you should read the student reviews of Towson on College Reviews. They're awful. http://www.studentsreview.com/MD/TSU.html |
Anonymous
GMU. It has a national reputation, while Towson is a regional school. GMU's law school is also very solid. |
Anonymous
| Academically, George Mason has developed a top-notch reputation. The school is also very diverse. Calling it a "second tier" state school does not do it justice. The grades and test scores required to get into GMU are far higher than required for Towson, if that helps distinguish them. |
Anonymous
| The tremendous rise of umbc and Salisbury univ have hurt Towson . |
Anonymous
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This is merely one opinion, and nothing more --
GMU is a second-tier state university that was originally a Fairfax branch of UVa. But GMU is also a state university part-adjacent and part-inside the Beltway, GMU attractes numerous inside-the-Beltway students to whom it actively caters, and selected programs are ranked highly, perhaps so highly as to be out-of-proportion to GMU's status as a second-tier state university. By contrast, Towson is a solid local state teachers' college that has expanded, but does not have the specialty rankings nor the geography of GMU. If you want a MD teaching license, Towson is absolutely the way to go. looking solely at FT, undergrad in-state tuition, Towson is somewhat cheaper. Almost every academic program that Towson has, GMU also has, and most of GMU's are higher-ranked. |
Anonymous
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The two don't really compare. A major research institution versus a state teachers college. One author suggests Mason is one of a new breed of up-and-coming schools and is more like UMBC. See below. Towson just isn't that kind of school.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/five-universities-that-really-are-up-and-comers/2012/03/21/gIQAxrNdTS_blog.html |