James Madison University

www.jmu.edu/index.shtml

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$8,150

2.98% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$18,856

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

71.5%

38,428 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

22,740

91.2% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

79.7%

3,616 Graduates

About

James Madison University is a higher education institution located in Harrisonburg City, VA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at James Madison University were Community Health Services (451 degrees awarded), Speech Communication & Rhetoric (439 degrees), and General Psychology (298 degrees).

In 2024, 5,616 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at James Madison University. 62.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 37.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (4,221 degrees), 9.89 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (427 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at James Madison University is $8,150, which is $−23,770 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

Photo by Taber Andrew Bain

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at James Madison University is $8,150, which is $23,770 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $18,856.

In 2024, 42% of undergraduate students attending James Madison University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 29% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$8,150

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at James Madison University was $8,150. The cost of tuition at James Madison University is $−23,770 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

This chart compares the tuition costs of James Madison University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$18,856

2024 Value

28.4%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 James Madison University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $18,856. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of James Madison University grew by 28.4%.

This chart compares the average net price of James Madison University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$12,584

Room and Board

$1,254

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at James Madison University was of $12,584 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 4.52% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,254. The cost of books and supplies increased by 6.63% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at James Madison University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

42%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

29%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

42% of undergraduate students at James Madison University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 52.3% with respect to 2023, when 88% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at James Madison University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

James Madison University received 38,428 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 7.49% annual growth. Out of those 38,428 applicants, 27,482 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 71.5% acceptance rate.

There were 22,740 students enrolled at James Madison University in 2024. 14% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

James Madison University has an overall enrollment yield of 18.2%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

71.5%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

27,482

Accepted Out of 38,428

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of James Madison University was 71.5% (27,482 admissions from 38,428 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 76.2%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 7.49%, while admissions grew by 0.822%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of James Madison University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

14%

Submission Percentage (2024)

721

Scores Submitted (2024)

14% of enrolled first-time students at James Madison University in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

James Madison University had a total enrollment of 22,740 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at James Madison University is 20,737 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,003. This means that 91.2% of students enrolled at James Madison University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at James Madison University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 71.8% White, 8.59% Hispanic or Latino, 5.58% Two or More Races, 5.17% Asian, 4.92% Black or African American, 0.176% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.106% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at James Madison University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (41.5%), followed by White Male (31.9%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.99%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (44.6%), followed by White Male (19.5%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.47%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

91.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at James Madison University in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 22,740 students. The full-time enrollment at James Madison University is 20,737 and the part-time enrollment is 2,003. This means that 91.2% of students enrolled at James Madison University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.3% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at James Madison University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

92%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at James Madison University was 92%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (82%), James Madison University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at James Madison University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
16,321 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
1,953 enrolled students
Two or More Races
1,268 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at James Madison University is 71.8% White, 8.59% Hispanic or Latino, 5.58% Two or More Races, 5.17% Asian, 4.92% Black or African American, 0.176% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.106% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.2% White, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 580 students (2.55%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 1,390 more women than men received degrees from James Madison University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at James Madison University is white (4,221 degrees awarded). There were 9.89 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (427 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at James Madison University is Community Health Services (451 degrees awarded), followed by Speech Communication & Rhetoric (439 degrees) and General Psychology (298 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at James Madison University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (341 degrees awarded), Communications (455 degrees), and History (90 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at James Madison University are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (525,395 people), Other managers (476,258 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (333,577 people), Postsecondary teachers (221,870 people), and Secondary school teachers (218,718 people).

The most specialized majors at James Madison University in 2024 are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (341 degrees awarded), Communications (455 degrees), History (90 degrees), English (118 degrees), and Social Sciences (415 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at James Madison University are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at James Madison University are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (341 degrees awarded), Communications (455 degrees), History (90 degrees), English (118 degrees), and Social Sciences (415 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at James Madison University are Elementary & secondary schools (865,338 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (582,821 people), Legal services (430,759 people), Computer Systems Design (383,917 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (305,027 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by James Madison University.

Most Common (2024)

Community Health Services
451 degrees awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
439 degrees awarded
General Psychology
298 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at James Madison University was Community Health Services with 451 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at James Madison University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,113

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

3,503

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 2,113 degrees were awarded to men at James Madison University, which is 0.603 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (3,503).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at James Madison University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 161 degrees were awarded to men at James Madison University in Speech Communication & Rhetoric, which is 0.548 times less than the 294 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 380 degrees were awarded to men at James Madison University in Community Health Services, which is 5.35 times more than the 71 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

66%

100% Completion Time

81%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 66% of students graduating from James Madison University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 81% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 82% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (84.1%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2024 at James Madison University is Female and White (84.1% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (75.5%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.8% of graduates (65 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
4,221 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
427 degrees awarded
Asian
272 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at James Madison University is white (4,221 degrees awarded). There were 9.89 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (427 degrees).

2.21% of degree recipients (124 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
2,761 degrees awarded
White Female
2,755 degrees awarded
White Female
2,712 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at James Madison University is white female (2,761 degrees awarded). There were 1 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (2,755 degrees).

Operations

James Madison University has an endowment valued at nearly $156M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 13.7M (8.83%) compared to the 9.4% average return (23.7M on 252M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2024, James Madison University had a total salary expenditure of 676M. James Madison University employs 400 Professors, 276 Associate professors and 221 Assistant professors. Most academics at James Madison University are Male Professor (223), Female Professor (177), and Female Associate professor (154).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at James Madison University are: Office and Administrative Support, with 389 employees, Management, with 386 employees, and Service with 361 employees.

Endowment

$156M

2024 Endowment

14.9%

growth from 2023

James Madison University has an endowment valued at about $156M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of James Madison University grew 14.9% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $96.6M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at James Madison University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$258M

2024 Salaries

4.96%

growth from 2023

In 2024, James Madison University paid a median of $258M in salaries, which represents 38.2% of their overall expenditure ($676M) and a 4.96% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 9% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 6.77% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$110M

Instructional Salaries

1,085

Number of Employees

In 2024, James Madison University paid a total of $110M to 1,085 employees working as instructors, which represents 42.8% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.1M (2.29%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at James Madison University were Office and Administrative Support with 389 employees, Management with 386 employees, and Service with 361 employees.

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