George Mason University vs Virginia Tech

• 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 libraries offer everything from technology-rich spaces, exhibits, and collections to services for managing research data and scholarship. The libraries also assist students and faculty in publishing scholarly works and offer consulting on a wide array of learning, research, and creative activities. They have three libraries on the Virginia Tech campus.

It includes:

• Primary Civil War documents in Special Collections
• Women in Art + Architecture collection
• More than 1 million e-books
• More than 6,800 DVDs
• Thousands of 16 mm films
• Bestselling books, including recently published fiction and non-fiction

• 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.

Blacksburg- incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia; Blacksburg has about 43,000 residents and is located in the New River Valley, which is Virginia’s fastest growing region west of Richmond. The city and region get high marks from outdoor enthusiasts and were named the No. 3 new tech hub by Axios. Although there’s always something happening at Virginia Tech, sometimes it’s nice to get off campus and into the outdoors. Southwest Virginia offers great hiking and biking, scenic lakes and drives, and all kinds of festivals. Famous attractions- Armory Art Gallery, Caboose Park, Kent Square, Hahn Horticulture Garden and Lyric Theatre; Annual town events include the International Street Fair and Parade, Steppin’ Out (town’s first annual street festival); Unemployment rate: 3% (Dec 2022).