At a Glance
JMU admits 71.5% of applicants.
What You'll Actually Pay
See what families at different income levels actually pay after aid.
Net price data temporarily unavailable. Visit each school's net price calculator directly.
Where the Sticker Price Goes
Sticker price
Not reported by this school
Debt at Graduation
24.3%
receive need-based grant aid
$31,357
average debt at graduation
JMU graduates carry an average of $31,357 in debt.
Merit Aid
479
students received merit aid
$6,789
average merit award
Getting In
JMU admits 71.5% of applicants.
This school reports SAT section scores but leaves the composite range blank, so there is no mid-50% band to chart.
Of the enrolled freshmen who submitted an SAT score, 64% scored 1200–1399.
ACT composite range not reported by this school.
What They Value
Academic
Nonacademic
James Madison University gives essays less weight than many schools — academics drive most admissions decisions here. Demonstrated interest is Considered — showing genuine engagement with this school may help your application.
Student Life
36.1% of JMU classes have fewer than 20 students.
Share of undergraduate class sections at each size, from CDS Section I-3. More red = more large lectures.
At JMU, 36.1% of your classes will have fewer than 20 students.
Class size data reflects all undergraduate sections including labs, seminars, and lectures. Large research universities often have smaller upper-division and graduate-level sections that improve the overall distribution. First and second-year students typically experience larger classes than these averages suggest.
Source: Common Data Set 2024–25, Section I-3 (class sizes)
17:1
student:faculty ratio
Student:faculty ratio from College Scorecard (2024) — not reported in JMU's 2024–25 Common Data Set.
Campus Life
Live on campus
30%
In Greek life
~20%
On-campus housing and Greek-life participation from JMU Residence Life (2025) — not reported in JMU's 2024–25 Common Data Set.
Who Attends
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduates, as reported in each school's Common Data Set. "Unknown / Other" includes students who did not report or selected "other."
JMU's student body is 71.9% white.
Popular Majors
Will They Graduate?
JMU graduates 65.6% of students in 4 years.
Graduating late means paying for extra semesters. The 6-year rate tells you who eventually finishes — the 4-year rate tells you what it actually costs.
JMU graduates 65.6% of students in 4 years.
What finishing late actually costs
Based on each school's published cost of attendance. Public school costs shown at in-state rates.
JMU
65.6%
4-yr grad rate
Data pending
* In-state cost of attendance. Out-of-state students pay significantly more.
Graduation rate data from Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2018 cohort (most recent available). 4-year rate = students completing in 4 years or less. 6-year rate = students completing within 6 years.
Graduation rate broken down by financial-aid status (e.g. Pell Grant recipients) isn't reported in this school's Common Data Set.
Freshman Retention
92%
92% of first-year students return for sophomore year.
4-year graduation rate, 6-year graduation rate and retention from College Scorecard (2024) — not reported in JMU's 2024–25 Common Data Set.
City & Culture
Beyond the data — what it's actually like to spend four years in Harrisonburg.
Harrisonburg is a small Shenandoah Valley city of roughly 50,000 where JMU's student body is a large share of the population, so campus and downtown blend into each other rather than competing. Downtown is walkable and unusually food-driven for its size - it was named Virginia's first culinary district - with the Blue Ridge and Allegheny ridgelines visible from campus and reachable in under an hour.
Notable Alumni
Kathy Warden
Chair, President and CEO of Northrop Grumman.
Jim Acosta
Longtime CNN White House correspondent.
Christina Tosi
Founder of Milk Bar and a MasterChef judge.
Levar Stoney
Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, 2017-2025.
Charles Haley
Pro Football Hall of Famer and the first player to win five Super Bowls.
Alumni selected for name recognition and range of fields. Not from the Common Data Set.
The City
College town
Harrisonburg, VA
Best For
Traditions
Streamers at the first touchdown
Fans throw purple and gold streamers onto the field the moment JMU scores its first touchdown at a home football game.
The J-M-U / Dukes call
When someone calls out 'J-M-U,' the crowd answers 'Duuuukes' while stepping forward and sweeping their arms outward.
Holding the door
Holding doors open for whoever is behind you is a campus-wide habit students notice immediately and describe as part of JMU's identity.
The Kissing Rock
A limestone outcrop unearthed on the Quad in the 1920s, where students once sat with dates to get around dorm visitation rules, and where campus lore says whoever you kiss is who you'll marry.
Weekend Escapes
Within driving distance from Harrisonburg
Massanutten Resort
25 minutesSkiing and snowboarding in winter, mountain biking and a water park the rest of the year.
Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive
50 minutesThe Swift Run Gap entrance puts hiking, waterfalls and ridgeline overlooks within an easy day trip.
Charlottesville
1 hourA bigger downtown mall, music venues and the UVA scene over the mountain.
Washington, DC
about 2 hours 15 minutesMuseums, concerts and internships - the standard long-weekend and career trip from campus.
Getting There & Game Days
Nearest airport
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD)
25 minutes from campus
For international flights: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — about 2 hours by car.
Pro sports nearby
- Washington Commanders NFLAbout 2 hours away
- Washington Capitals NHLAbout 2 hours away
- Washington Nationals MLBAbout 2 hours away
Career Proximity
Day-to-day internships are local - healthcare, food manufacturing and education - while the Northern Virginia and DC corridor, about two hours up I-81 and I-66, is where most career-track internships and first jobs sit.
Top Industries Nearby
Major Employers
- James Madison University
- Sentara RMH Medical Center
- Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Public Schools
- Pilgrim's Pride
- Cargill
- George's Foods
Washington, DC - about 2 hours 15 minutes from campus
Who Thrives Here
JMU admits 71.5% of applicants and charges $14,250 in-state, which makes it genuinely accessible for a university of 21,112 undergraduates. Campus culture is communal in a way students notice immediately — purple and gold streamers get thrown onto the field at the first home touchdown, and holding the door for whoever is behind you is treated as part of the school's identity. The trade-off is aid: JMU meets 41.6% of demonstrated financial need and its graduates carry about $31,357 in debt, so families needing substantial need-based support should price this one carefully.