More selective than 62% of Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $31,735. College Scorecard.
Higher than 84% of Virginia colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 80% of Virginia colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
JMU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 35,750 applicants, James Madison University admitted 27,258 and 4,922 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1340 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
JMU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Virginia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
JMU majors, earnings & careers
James Madison University offers 49 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at JMU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Information Science / Studies | $113,345 | $21,025 |
| Finance | $104,926 | $20,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $104,806 | $21,470 |
| Accounting | $98,767 | $22,484 |
| Engineering | $91,761 | $25,000 |
| International Business | $91,141 | $16,154 |
| Systems Science and Theory | $91,034 | $22,301 |
| Marketing | $89,944 | $21,040 |
Quick list of all 49 majors
- Accounting$98,767
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$60,841
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biology$62,914
- Biotechnology$65,893
- Business Administration$85,137
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry$74,631
- Communications$66,436
- Computer and Information Sciences$104,806
- Economics$86,681
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Engineering$91,761
- English$57,487
- Finance$104,926
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$59,501
- Geography$63,768
- Geology / Earth Science$51,500
- Health Administration$77,393
- History$55,782
- Hospitality Management$65,016
- Information Science / Studies$113,345
- International Business$91,141
- International Relations$68,798
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$63,065
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies$61,496
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,026
- Linguistics$62,366
- Marketing$89,944
- Mathematics$75,295
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$67,033
- Music$51,882
- Nursing$87,056
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other$59,604
- Physics—
- Political Science$73,326
- Psychology$56,212
- Public Administration$71,626
- Science, Technology and Society$82,455
- Social Work$52,991
- Sociology$48,774
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$65,770
- Studio Art$54,093
- Systems Science and Theory$91,034
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre$45,225
- Writing$57,179
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Harrisonburg
Overall prices in the Harrisonburg, VA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,264. Housing costs 18% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Harrisonburg City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Harrisonburg City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare JMU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison University | 72% | $23,322 | 80% | $69,954 | This school |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 93% | $23,433 | 63% | $58,128 | |
| Virginia Military Institute | 71% | $17,113 | 76% | $77,369 | |
| George Mason University | 87% | $17,915 | 68% | $76,343 | |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 55% | $24,953 | 86% | $81,698 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
James Madison University would cost you $111 less per year than Virginia Commonwealth University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at James Madison University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$3,535).
- Virginia Commonwealth University gives aided families $7,108 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | JMU | VCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $14,250 | $16,945 | −$2,695 |
| Books & supplies | $1,254 | $1,240 | +$14 |
| Housing & meals | $12,584 | $16,119 | −$3,535 |
| Personal & travel | $4,560 | $6,150 | −$1,590 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$913 | −$1,500 | +$587 |
| Sticker price | $31,735 | $38,954 | −$7,219 |
| Average grants | −$8,413 | −$15,521 | +$7,108 |
| You pay | $23,322 | $23,433 | −$111 |
“+” means JMU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about JMU
What is the JMU acceptance rate?
James Madison University accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 27,258 of 35,750 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1340 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
How much does James Madison University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $31,735 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,322 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,444 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,147.
How much do JMU graduates earn?
Former James Madison University students earn a median $69,954 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the JMU graduation rate?
80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 92% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “James Madison University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/james-madison-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).