James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · JMU
Public institution in Harrisonburg, VA · 20,497 undergraduates · 76% acceptance rate · $69,954 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 5%Undergraduates
- Top 10%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 13%Full-time retention
- Top 14%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $21,8161,256th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $13,576873rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $30,7901,283rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $30,213948th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,093660th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $69,954280th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $57,438293rd highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 80.9%199th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 90.1%239th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 76.3%788th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1247285th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 27222nd highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 20,497113th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 16.8%1,863rd highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 84 mi (IAD)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EANov 1
- RDJan 15
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $70
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 45 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $75,706 | $72,659 |
| Information Science/StudiesComputer Science | bachelors | $72,002 | $72,290 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBusiness | bachelors | $71,015 | $64,493 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $66,329 | $67,380 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $64,315 | $63,965 |
| Systems Science and TheoryMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $60,878 | $60,623 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $60,523 | $56,114 |
| Engineering, GeneralEngineering | bachelors | $59,011 | $57,943 |
| PhysicsPhysical Sciences | bachelors | $57,318 | $47,260 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $55,102 | $49,270 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $54,154 | $51,794 |
| International BusinessBusiness | bachelors | $53,358 | $55,964 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1908source
- Motto: "Knowledge is Liberty."source
- Athletic nickname: "Dukes"source
- Mascot: Duke Dogsource
- Bridgeforth Stadium and Zane Showker Field seats about 24,877source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Campus size: about 785 acressource
- Formerly known as "{{collapsible list"source
- Formerly known as "| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;padding-left:0.5em;font-size:100%;"source
- Formerly known as "| liststyle = text-align:left;white-space:nowrap;"source
- Formerly known as "| title=|State Normal and Industrial School" (1908–1914)source
- Formerly known as "State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg" (1914–1924)source
- Formerly known as "State Teachers College at Harrisonburg" (1924–1938)source
- Formerly known as "Madison College (1938–1977)}}"source
- Athletic conference: FBSsource
- Football rivalry: Battle of the Blue Ridge (since 1980)source
- Plays for the "Royal Rivalry Trophy" (since 2011)source
- Fight song: ""JMU Fight Song""source
Athletics — 12 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $10,949,879 (M $5,774,888 · W $5,174,991)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitejmu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 232423)
- Compare colleges in VARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in VirginiaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: James Madison University vs Virginia Commonwealth UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 12 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.