James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public four-year · City: Small
21,006undergraduates
72%admitted
Test-optionalSAT/ACT
$26,317average net price per year
81%graduate in 6 years
90%return for year two
Admissions
- Applicants
- 35,750
- Admitted
- 27,258
- Admit rate
- 72%
- Admit rate, women
- 79%
- Admit rate, men
- 72%
- Admitted students who enroll
- 18%
- First-year students
- 4,922
- SAT/ACT
- Test-optional
- Students who sent SAT scores
- 19%
- SAT reading and writing (middle 50%)
- 600-670
- SAT math (middle 50%)
- 570-650
- Students who sent ACT scores
- 3%
- ACT composite (middle 50%)
- 25-29
| High school GPA | Required |
|---|---|
| High school record | Required |
| College-prep coursework | Required |
| SAT or ACT scores | Considered, not required |
| Recommendations | Considered, not required |
| Essay or personal statement | Considered, not required |
| Class rank | Not considered |
| Demonstrated competencies | Not considered |
| English proficiency test | Required |
| Work experience | Considered, not required |
| Legacy status | Not considered |
Majors
54 undergraduate programs that awarded a degree or certificate last year, grouped by field. Numbers are how many were awarded.
Health professions and related programs (4)
- Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling Bachelor's (449 awarded)
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management Bachelor's (61 awarded)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse Bachelor's (274 awarded)
- Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist Bachelor's (76 awarded)
Business, management, marketing, and related support services (7)
- Accounting Bachelor's (90 awarded)
- Business Administration and Management, General Bachelor's (148 awarded)
- Business/Managerial Economics Bachelor's (7 awarded)
- Finance, General Bachelor's (106 awarded)
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General Bachelor's (123 awarded)
- International Business/Trade/Commerce Bachelor's (12 awarded)
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General Bachelor's (166 awarded)
Communication, journalism, and related programs (1)
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric Bachelor's (426 awarded)
Social sciences (6)
- Anthropology, General Bachelor's (31 awarded)
- Economics, General Bachelor's (77 awarded)
- Geography Bachelor's (48 awarded)
- International Relations and Affairs Bachelor's (54 awarded)
- Political Science and Government, General Bachelor's (115 awarded)
- Sociology, General Bachelor's (54 awarded)
Parks, recreation, leisure, fitness, and kinesiology (2)
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management Bachelor's (176 awarded)
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General Bachelor's (139 awarded)
Psychology (1)
- Psychology, General Bachelor's (294 awarded)
Computer and information sciences and support services (3)
- Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's (127 awarded)
- Information Science/Studies Bachelor's (146 awarded)
- Information Technology Bachelor's (10 awarded)
Visual and performing arts (4)
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation Bachelor's (4 awarded)
- Art/Art Studies, General Bachelor's (136 awarded)
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General Bachelor's (52 awarded)
- Music Performance, General Bachelor's (75 awarded)
Education (6)
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching Bachelor's (13 awarded)
- Elementary Education and Teaching Bachelor's (163 awarded)
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching Bachelor's (14 awarded)
- Secondary Education and Teaching Bachelor's (12 awarded)
- Special Education and Teaching, General Bachelor's (21 awarded)
- Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Bachelor's (3 awarded)
Biological and biomedical sciences (2)
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General Bachelor's (179 awarded)
- Biotechnology Bachelor's (21 awarded)
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities (1)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies Bachelor's (134 awarded)
Multi/interdisciplinary studies (2)
- Science, Technology and Society Bachelor's (62 awarded)
- Systems Science and Theory Bachelor's (52 awarded)
English language and literature/letters (2)
- English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's (57 awarded)
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing Bachelor's (43 awarded)
Public administration and social service professions (2)
- Public Administration Bachelor's (45 awarded)
- Social Work Bachelor's (48 awarded)
History (1)
- History, General Bachelor's (70 awarded)
Legal professions and studies (1)
- Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General Bachelor's (70 awarded)
Physical sciences (3)
- Chemistry, General Bachelor's (33 awarded)
- Geology/Earth Science, General Bachelor's (21 awarded)
- Physics, General Bachelor's (16 awarded)
Engineering (1)
- Engineering, General Bachelor's (69 awarded)
Mathematics and statistics (2)
- Financial Mathematics Bachelor's (4 awarded)
- Mathematics, General Bachelor's (27 awarded)
Philosophy and religious studies (1)
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other Bachelor's (21 awarded)
Family and consumer sciences/human sciences (1)
- Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General Bachelor's (20 awarded)
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics (1)
- Foreign Languages and Literatures, General Bachelor's (14 awarded)
Graduate programs (38)
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Master's
- Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services Master's
- Education, General Master's
- Education, Other Post-master's certificate
- Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement Post-bachelor's certificate
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General Post-bachelor's certificate
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision Post-bachelor's certificate
- Educational/Instructional Technology Post-bachelor's certificate
- Mathematics Teacher Education Master's
- Special Education and Teaching, General Master's
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing Master's
- Athletic Training/Trainer Master's
- Audiology/Audiologist Doctorate (research)
- Nursing Practice Doctorate (research)
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist Master's
- Physician Associate/Assistant Master's
- Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Accounting Master's
- Business Administration and Management, General Master's
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other Doctorate (research)
- Psychology, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology Doctorate (research)
- School Psychology Master's
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management Master's
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General Master's
- Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism Post-bachelor's certificate
- Art/Art Studies, General Master's
- Music Pedagogy Doctorate (research)
- Music Performance, General Master's
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric Master's
- Political Science and Government, General Master's
- English Language and Literature, General Master's
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing Master's
- History, General Master's
- Computer and Information Sciences, General Master's
- Public Administration Master's
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General Master's
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Doctorate (research)
Cost and aid
- Tuition and fees, in-state
- $13,576
- Tuition and fees, out-of-state
- $30,790
- Housing and food on campus
- $12,584
- Books and supplies
- $1,254
- Other on-campus costs
- $4,560
- Total cost on campus, in-state
- $31,974
- Total cost on campus, out-of-state
- $49,188
- Total cost living at home
- $19,390
Published prices for 2023-24.
| Family income | Per year |
|---|---|
| $0-30,000 | $10,582 |
| $30,001-48,000 | $12,172 |
| $48,001-75,000 | $17,150 |
| $75,001-110,000 | $23,171 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,869 |
Net price is the full cost minus grants and scholarships, for full-time first-year students who got aid in 2022-23 and paid in-state tuition.
- First-year students who got any aid
- 89%
- Got grants or scholarships
- 81%
- Average grant or scholarship
- $4,456
- Got a grant from the college
- 80%
- Average grant from the college
- $2,629
- Undergraduates with a Pell grant
- 17%
- First-year students who borrowed
- 34%
- Average amount borrowed
- $9,972
Graduation
- Bachelor's in 4 years
- 67%
- Bachelor's in 5 years
- 80%
- Bachelor's in 6 years
- 81%
- Bachelor's in 8 years
- 82%
- Any degree in 6 years (all students)
- 81%
- Came back for year two
- 90%
| Pell grant students | 78% |
|---|---|
| Subsidized loan, no Pell | 77% |
| Neither | 83% |
| Group | Students | Graduated |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 2,769 | 85% |
| Men | 1,889 | 76% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 4 | 50% (small group) |
| Asian | 201 | 81% |
| Black | 218 | 74% |
| Hispanic | 329 | 74% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 3 | 100% (small group) |
| White | 3,537 | 82% |
| Two or more races | 226 | 79% |
| Race unknown | 67 | 84% |
| International | 73 | 75% |
| Started | Students | Earned a degree or certificate here | Enrolled at another college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Started here, full-time | 4,452 | 82% | 14% |
| Started here, part-time | 3 | 0% (small group) | 33% |
| Transferred in, full-time | 860 | 83% | 12% |
| Transferred in, part-time | 108 | 70% | 12% |
Graduation rates follow students who started full-time for the first time in fall 2017. Groups under 20 students are marked because a few students change the rate a lot.
Students
- Total students
- 22,758
- Undergraduates
- 21,006
- Full-time undergraduates
- 19,492
- Part-time undergraduates
- 1,514
- Graduate students
- 1,752
- Students per faculty member
- 17 to 1
- Undergraduates age 25 and up
- 3%
- Undergraduates taking all classes online
- 2%
- Undergraduates registered with disability services
- 12%
| Women | 57% |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0% |
| Asian | 5% |
| Black | 4% |
| Hispanic | 8% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0% |
| White | 74% |
| Two or more races | 5% |
| Race unknown | 2% |
| International | 1% |
Campus life
- Setting
- City: Small
- Address
- 800 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807
- County
- Harrisonburg City
- Type
- Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity
- Highest degree
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Athletics
- NCAA
- Teams include
- football, basketball, baseball, cross country and track
- Offers
- Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC, Study abroad, Undergraduate research, Teacher certification, Online programs, Credit for AP exams, Yellow Ribbon (veterans)
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2022-23 to 2024-25 surveys), and the College Scorecard.