George Mason University - School of Business

What George Mason University - School of Business does

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University, founded in 1977 (the university in 1972) and renamed in 2023, is a public, AACSB-accredited business school headquartered at 4400 University Drive in Fairfax, Virginia. It serves undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive learners across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and beyond, offering a Bachelor of Science in Business with eight concentrations, an MBA, specialized master's degrees (Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Management, Real Estate Development), a PhD in Business launched in 2020, twelve undergraduate minors, fourteen graduate certificates, and custom executive education tracks for federal agencies including GSA. Instruction is delivered on campus and through Canvas LMS in online and hybrid formats.

The college is organized around five academic areas and four research centers — the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (home to the SOAR Initiative), the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Retail Transformation. Faculty research spans AI applications in corporate disclosure, generative AI for peer firm identification, predictive analytics, and government contracting, with output in top accounting and finance journals. Curriculum input, recruiting, internships, and scholarships flow through formal advisory councils, notably a 40-plus-firm Accounting Advisory Council that includes the Big Four alongside mid-tier firms, and a 40-seat Women in Business Initiative advisory board. More than 70 student organizations support leadership development and networking.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees (undergraduate per-credit-hour billing and graduate program tuition), Commonwealth of Virginia state appropriations, external research grants, philanthropic donations and endowments (e.g., the WIBI scholarship endowment exceeding $100,000), and corporate-sponsored executive education. GTM is sales-led, relying on traditional university admissions, high school outreach, transfer student recruitment, career services events, alumni referrals, and corporate partnerships for executive program pipeline. The college is publicly owned (state entity), holds AACSB and SACS accreditation, and maintains no outside equity investors.

Name

George Mason University - School of Business

Legal name

George Mason University

Website

https://business.gmu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University is a public, AACSB-accredited business school in Fairfax, Virginia serving undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive students across the D.C. metro area through degree programs, certificates, and federal-sector executive education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Business School

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA), Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Business education
• Graduate degree programs
• Executive education
• Undergraduate business programs
• Certificate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, along with program-specific fees for various business programs including executive education and certificate programs.
2. State Funding: Public university funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of George Mason University's state-supported budget.
3. Donations and Endowments: Philanthropic contributions from alumni, corporate partners, and friends of the college including the Women in Business Initiative scholarship endowment exceeding $100,000.
4. Grants and Research Funding: External research grants from government agencies and corporations supporting faculty research initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Costello College of Business delivers higher education through a Bachelor of Science in Business with eight concentrations, multiple specialized master's degrees (MBA, Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Management, Real Estate Development), a PhD in Business, executive education programs for organizations, and graduate certificate programs. Programs are delivered in-person at the Fairfax, Virginia campus and through online/hybrid formats via Canvas LMS, with specialized centers in government contracting, innovation and entrepreneurship, real estate, and retail transformation.

Product overview

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University operates as a comprehensive business school offering undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs. The portfolio includes a Bachelor of Science in Business with eight concentrations, multiple Master's programs (MBA, Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Management, Real Estate Development), a PhD program, Executive Education custom programs for organizations, and 14 graduate certificate programs. The college also houses four specialized centers (Government Contracting, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Real Estate Entrepreneurship, Retail Transformation) and 12 business minors. The school emphasizes experiential learning, government contracting specialization, and innovation through the SOAR Initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women in Business Initiative (WIBI): Advisory board focused on opening doors for business students and alumni, with 40-seat board of professionals.
• SOAR Initiative

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science in Business Undergraduate degree program with eight concentrations: Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Financial Planning and Wealth Management, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. Designed for high school graduates and transfer students pursuing a business career.
• MBA Program Master of Business Administration program providing advanced business education for working professionals and recent graduates.
• Master's in Accounting Graduate degree program preparing students for careers in accounting with advanced coursework.
• Master's in Business Analytics Graduate program focused on data analytics, business intelligence, and analytical decision-making.
• Master's in Finance Graduate finance program covering investment management, corporate finance, and financial analysis.
• Master's in Management Management program offering modular education through micro-credentialing and stackable certificates.
• MS in Real Estate Development Graduate program focused on real estate development, investment, and property management.
• PhD in Business Research-oriented, teaching-focused doctoral program in business disciplines.
• Executive Education Programs Custom programs for organizations covering Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Chief Learning Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and other executive leadership programs.
• Graduate Certificate Programs Stackable certificate programs including Accounting Analytics, Accounting for Government Contracts, Business Analytics, Business Fundamentals, Forensic Accounting, Government Contract Management, Government Accounting, Human Capital and HR Management, and Information Security Management.
• Business Minors Twelve undergraduate minors including Business, Business Analytics, Energy Transition Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Government Contracting, International Business, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Organizational Conflict Resolution, Real Estate Development, and Wine and Craft Beverage Management.
• Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting Specialized center focused on government contracting education, research, and industry partnerships.
• Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center supporting startup ecosystem through the SOAR Initiative providing comprehensive entrepreneurship training.
• Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship Center focused on real estate entrepreneurship education and industry connections.
• Center for Retail Transformation Center dedicated to retail industry innovation and transformation research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Partnership with 40+ firms through formal Accounting Advisory Council
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Large public university business school offering undergraduate concentrations, MBA, specialty masters, and executive education with strong industry partnerships. Comparable as a full-service state-school business college.
• University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business: Public flagship business school in the DC metro region with similar program portfolio (BS, MBA, MS, PhD, executive education) and AACSB accreditation. Direct geographic competitor for students and employer relationships.
• Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business: Another large Virginia public business school with undergraduate concentrations, MBA, specialty masters, and AACSB accreditation. Competes for the same in-state applicant pool and corporate partners.
• American University Kogod School of Business: DC-area private business school offering undergraduate business degrees, MBA, and specialty masters with strong government and policy adjacency. Overlaps on location and target student profile.
• George Washington University School of Business: DC-anchored business school with comparable program mix and government contracting curriculum. Directly competes for DC-area residents and federal workforce graduate students.

Broad incumbents

• Georgetown University McDonough School of Business: Elite private DC-area business school offering undergraduate, MBA, and executive programs. Competes with Costello in the same geography for graduate and executive education students despite materially different price points.
• University of Virginia Darden School of Business: Top-tier Virginia business school known for residential MBA and executive education. Sets the competitive ceiling in-state for graduate business talent.
• Penn State Smeal College of Business: Large public business school with full program portfolio and AACSB accreditation. Comparable scale and structure to Costello, serving a different regional employer base.

Regional players

• James Madison University College of Business: Virginia public business school with AACSB accreditation and similar undergraduate focus. Competes for in-state undergraduate applicants but with a different graduate profile.
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business: Virginia public business school offering undergraduate, MBA, and specialty masters in the Richmond area. Competes for Virginia residents and employers but in a different sub-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Costello_Biz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GeorgeMasonCostello
• Facebookfacebook.com/GeorgeMasonCostello
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/george-mason-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/georgemasoncostello

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about George Mason University - School of Business