The record, stated precisely
George Mason University has graduated students younger than Yevin Goonatilake: one at 13 and one at 17 are noted in the reporting. Neither left with a perfect grade point average. He did, at 15, which is the specific record NBC4 Washington reported in December 2024.
The distinction matters, and it is the reason this record is worth more than most youngest-ever claims. Finishing early and finishing at the top of the marking scale are different achievements, and a university that keeps both sets of records is in a position to say which student did both.
Chalk on the floor at four
His parents, both computer scientists, noticed his abilities when he was about three, and chose to homeschool him because, as his mother put it, he might be bored at school. She remembers doing mathematics drills with him in chalk when he was four.
The acceleration that followed was measured rather than assumed. At 11 he sat the SAT and scored close to perfect, which is the kind of external result that persuades admissions offices. He enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College and transferred to George Mason at 13, taking the standard route American students use to start early, only several years sooner than usual.
Fitting in, and what it costs
His own description of university life is about camouflage rather than distinction. “I always just tried to fit in,” he said. “So, no one, no one knows.” A professor, Fred Geldon, said he was perhaps the best student in his section.
There is a cost, and Goonatilake named it without drama: he cannot go to any parties. That is the ordinary consequence of being 15 among undergraduates, and it is the part of these stories that is usually left out. The academic acceleration is voluntary and rewarding; the social arithmetic that comes with it is neither.
Cricket, and Team USA
The ambition that sits alongside the doctorate is sporting. Goonatilake hopes to play cricket for Team USA, and is already the youngest player on the Baltimore Royals, a minor league side.
Cricket in the United States is in an unusual position: a minority sport with a growing professional structure and a national team competing internationally. For a teenager, that combination means a genuine path exists and the competition for places is not yet as deep as in established cricketing countries, which makes his ambition a plan rather than a daydream.
Where Yevin Goonatilake is now
As of December 2024 he expected to finish a master's degree in May 2025 and then to pursue a PhD. He was also, that week, applying for a learner's permit, the first stage of an American driving licence, which he had reached several years later than his bachelor's degree.
The sources used here record nothing beyond that. Whether the master's was completed on schedule, which doctoral programme he entered, and how his cricket has progressed are not documented, and no date of birth is published. The record as it stands is a 4.0 bachelor's degree at 15, a near-perfect SAT at 11, and a stated plan on two tracks at once.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viemens Bamfo | Ghana | Admitted to the University of Ghana at 12 (2019) | Age 12 |
| Yahya Elnajaar | Egypt | He was still in grade six when Egypt's science university admitted him | Age 12 |
| Dafne Almazán | Mexico | Completing a psychology degree at 13 | Age 13 |
| Yevin Goonatilake | United States | Youngest George Mason graduate with a 4.0, at 15 | Age 15 |
| Shania Muhammad | United States | Langston University's youngest graduate, at 15 | Age 15 |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- Graduated George Mason University at 15 in December 2024 with a 4.0, its youngest 4.0 graduate (NBC4 Washington)
- Homeschooled by parents who are computer scientists; near-perfect SAT at 11; transferred to Mason at 13
- Youngest player on the Baltimore Royals minor league cricket side, with ambitions for Team USA
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- His degree subject is not named in the source used here
- No date of birth published
- No confirmation that the master's was completed or which PhD programme he entered
Questions people ask about Yevin Goonatilake
How old is Yevin Goonatilake?
He was 15 when he graduated in December 2024, placing his birth around 2009. No date of birth is published.
Is he the youngest George Mason graduate?
No. The university has had graduates at 13 and 17. He is the youngest to graduate with a 4.0 grade point average.
How did he get to university at 13?
He was homeschooled, scored close to perfect on the SAT at 11, attended Northern Virginia Community College and transferred to George Mason at 13.
What are his parents' jobs?
Both are computer scientists. His mother has described doing mathematics drills with him in chalk at the age of four.
What is he studying next?
He expected to complete a master's degree in May 2025 and then pursue a PhD.
Does he play cricket?
Yes. He is the youngest player on the Baltimore Royals minor league side and hopes to play for Team USA.
Is Yevin Goonatilake on Wikipedia?
No Wikipedia article on him was identified in the research behind this page.
What did he say about university social life?
That he tried to fit in so nobody would know his age, and that he cannot go to any parties.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Yevin’s story?
What grade point average did Yevin Goonatilake graduate with?
How old was he when he scored near-perfect on the SAT?
Which sport does he hope to play for Team USA?
Sources
- 15-year-old graduates George Mason University with a 4.0. Next up: A learner's permit — NBC4 Washington, 2024-12-19
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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