James Madison University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It enrolls 20,888 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
75/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes89
Value61
Affordability24
Selectivity66
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
James Madison University admits 71.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
71.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1340
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether James Madison University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $23,322 a year on average, it sits in line with what public colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$14,250
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$31,604
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,056
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,056
Books & Supplies
$1,298
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,672
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,672
Total Cost of Attendance
$31,735
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$11,444
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,977
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,475
$75,001 – $110,000
$22,343
Over $110,000
$30,147
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,33810%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$20,093Medianpercentile
$26,00075%percentile
$29,68090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $17,500
↓ $2,593
No Pell $17,076
↓ $3,017
Dependent students $17,500
↓ $2,593
Independent students $12,500
↓ $7,593
Female students $18,127
↓ $1,966
Male students $15,500
↓ $4,593
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($20,093), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
83% of students who start here finish within six years, and 91% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
83%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
91%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $69,954 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$69,954
Earning > $25K
89%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$56,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$74,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$60,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$60,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$64,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $17,500, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
10.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 95% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 20,888 students, a sprawling student community.
Total Enrolled
20,888
Part-Time
5%
First-Generation
21%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 72.3%15,092
Hispanic 8.8%1,834
Other 6.0%1,257
Asian 5.3%1,097
Black 4.7%984
International 0.7%138
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at James Madison University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
James Madison University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
85 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,684
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$135M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$93,695
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,048 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
388
37%
$109,769
Associate Professors
283
27%
$93,024
Assistant Professors
204
19%
$84,284
Instructors
173
17%
$69,838
Pros & Cons of James Madison University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where James Madison University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, James Madison University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about James Madison University
The questions families ask most about James Madison University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is James Madison University hard to get into?
Admissions at James Madison University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 71.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at James Madison University?
71.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for James Madison University?
Aim for 1340 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1170 and 1340 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for James Madison University?
Aim for 29 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 24 and 29 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does James Madison University cost?
Budget around $23,322 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is James Madison University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $69,954 a year against a net price of $23,322, about 3.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is James Madison University known for?
Mostly Mental Health Services, Communication & Media, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do James Madison University graduates earn?
About $69,954 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is James Madison University accredited?
Yes. James Madison University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend James Madison University?
20,888 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at James Madison University?
83% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is James Madison University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is James Madison University located?
James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
What programs does James Madison University offer?
85 different programs, most commonly Mental Health Services, Communication & Media, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at James Madison University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Virginia
Other colleges in Virginia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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