6. George Mason University
Location: Fairfax, VA
Class of 2017 applications: 339
Applications from Arlington were up substantially this year (339 in 2017, compared with 270 the previous year) to the school located just one county over. GMU was ranked 68th among top public schools by U.S. News & World Report. Tuition is $11,924 for 2017-18, and there are 23,812 students, many of whom commute.