# James Madison University (JMU)

Public college in Harrisonburg, VA. IPEDS ID 232423.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/james-madison-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/james-madison-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 72% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $23,322 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 80%; beats 84% of VA colleges and 89% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $69,954; beats 80% of VA colleges and 85% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,272

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,444 |
| 30-48k | $12,977 |
| 48-75k | $16,475 |
| 75-110k | $22,343 |
| 110k+ | $30,147 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $31,735 in-state; about $49,089 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $14,250 in-state, $31,604 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $12,584; books: $1,254

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 600–680; SAT math: 570–660; ACT: 24–29 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 35,750 applicants, 27,258 admitted, 4,922 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 72%, ACT 24–29 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 76%, ACT 25–29 (IPEDS Admissions)

### State-published GPA and test ranges (middle 50%)
- Entering Fall 2026: GPA (basis not stated) 3.58–4.08; SAT 1160–1320; ACT 25–29; CLT — (B10 Admissions: First Time Freshman Profile, 2026-27)
- Entering Fall 2025: GPA (basis not stated) 3.6–4.11; SAT 1180–1330; ACT 24–29; CLT — (B10 Admissions: First Time Freshman Profile, 2025-26)
- Check chances: https://educationguide.com/chances?school=james-madison-university

## Majors (49 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Science / Studies | $80,173 | $113,345 | $21,025 |
| Finance | $67,849 | $104,926 | $20,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $81,761 | $104,806 | $21,470 |
| Accounting | $71,563 | $98,767 | $22,484 |
| Engineering | $71,176 | $91,761 | $25,000 |
| International Business | not reported | $91,141 | $16,154 |
| Systems Science and Theory | $65,683 | $91,034 | $22,301 |
| Marketing | $61,692 | $89,944 | $21,040 |
| Nursing | $76,490 | $87,056 | $21,347 |
| Economics | $62,286 | $86,681 | $18,575 |
| Business Administration | $65,931 | $85,137 | $19,750 |
| Science, Technology and Society | $54,235 | $82,455 | $23,875 |
| Health Administration | $53,913 | $77,393 | $21,118 |
| Mathematics | $58,810 | $75,295 | $20,876 |
| Chemistry | $45,799 | $74,631 | $25,332 |
| Political Science | $42,128 | $73,326 | $20,000 |
| Public Administration | $48,396 | $71,626 | $19,500 |
| International Relations | $44,667 | $68,798 | $18,460 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $33,971 | $67,033 | $21,500 |
| Communications | $42,769 | $66,436 | $21,502 |
| Biotechnology | $41,832 | $65,893 | $20,209 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $65,770 | $19,975 |
| Hospitality Management | $46,915 | $65,016 | $22,250 |
| Geography | $45,094 | $63,768 | $19,800 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $35,955 | $63,065 | $21,500 |
| Biology | $34,159 | $62,914 | $23,000 |
| Linguistics | $45,122 | $62,366 | $18,398 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $40,966 | $61,496 | $25,000 |
| Anthropology | $30,686 | $60,841 | $20,500 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | $28,712 | $59,604 | $24,734 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $24,860 | $59,501 | $19,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $49,408 | $58,026 | $23,250 |
| English | $26,049 | $57,487 | $22,500 |
| Writing | not reported | $57,179 | $22,714 |
| Psychology | $31,734 | $56,212 | $23,000 |
| History | $29,000 | $55,782 | $20,500 |
| Studio Art | $33,501 | $54,093 | $23,001 |
| Social Work | $31,687 | $52,991 | $18,989 |
| Music | $36,106 | $51,882 | $20,968 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $48,118 | $51,500 | $22,375 |
| Sociology | $31,513 | $48,774 | $19,168 |
| Theatre | $24,306 | $45,225 | $18,500 |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage $59,580 (Harrisonburg, VA), $80,380 (VA), $74,750 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (Harrisonburg, VA), $93,600 (VA), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).