George Mason University vs University of Maryland Baltimore County

• George Mason University has state-of-the-art libraries: the Fenwick Library on the Fairfax campus; the Mason Square Library and Law Library in Arlington; and the Mercer Library on the Manassas campus. 
• Students, faculty and staff have access to books and materials from all five Mason library locations, as well as libraries at other universities across the region or throughout the world. 
• If the item you need is in one of Mason's libraries or one of the Washington Research Library Consortium member libraries (American, Catholic, Gallaudet, George Washington, Georgetown, Howard, Marymount or University of the District of Columbia), it can be delivered to your local Mason library in 24 to 48 hours. 

The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s libraries offer information resources and services to help students, faculty, and staff excel. With a wealth of databases, tutorials, study spaces, journals, and outstanding book collections, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library and the Thurgood Marshall Law Library are well worth your visit.

• Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia, the City of Fairfax is a quaint commuter suburb home to about 24,000 residents
• With excellent schools, beautiful parks, and thriving economy, Fairfax is often cited as one of the best places to live in northern Virginia.
• Residents enjoy the slower pace of the suburbs without going too far from D.C. Fairfax City is a six-square-mile jurisdiction located just 20 minutes southwest of Washington, D.C. and just outside the 495-Beltway.
• Dulles International Airport is a 35-minute drive away, providing quick access to a major international transportation hub, while daily metro commuters can catch the Orange Line via nearby Vienna station or the Virginia Railway Express train at the Burke Centre station. Metrobus also operates in Fairfax City. 
• Given its great location and quality of life, the Fairfax City cost of living is 56% higher than the national average.
• However, the Fairfax county cost of living  is in line with most cities in Northern Virginia. The cost of living in Alexandria, Arlington and Washington, D.C. are also 56% higher than the national average.

Also known as “Charm City,” Baltimore is a big city with a small-town vibe is packed with exciting restaurants, craft breweries, museums, and — if you’re here long enough — familiar faces. It’s a popular home base for D.C. commuters, young professionals, and folks looking for big-city amenities that don’t cost them the feeling of community. Baltimore is just off of the Chesapeake Bay, located about an hour’s drive north of Washington, D.C., and two hours south of Philadelphia. 
With a population of around 600,000 people, Baltimore is Maryland’s most populous city, while its metro-area population of 2.8 million makes it the 21st largest metro area in the U.S. 

Baltimore has a lower cost of living than the U.S. national average and Maryland overall. So whether you’re relocating within the state or making it a long-distance move, you’ll likely get more bang for each buck. Just keep in mind, however, that while you might be spending less, you’ll also likely be making less. 

According to Nerdwallet, the median household salary in Baltimore is $40,100, versus the national average of $52,762.