R2 ResearchPublic

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·jmu.edu/index.shtml
6-yr Graduation
80%
+13.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
22,740
peer median 19,668
Avg net price
$23,322
+$5.9k vs R2 Research
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
38,428
38,428 candidates competed
Admitted
27,482
71.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
4,990
18.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
80%+13.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
66%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
80%
Full-time retention
92%

Pell equity

10.2pp gap
Pell recipients
71%468 of 659
Non-Pell (all)
81%3148 of 3877
Subsidized loan, no Pell
81%722 of 896
No Federal Aid
81%2426 of 2981

Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 93 Title IV programs, 55 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 38 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
93
Passing
55
59.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

93programs
  • Passing55 · 59.1%
  • No Data38 · 40.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
53
No data
38

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

55
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+14.0%
$69,342 vs $60,817
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+14.2%
$58,878 vs $51,545
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+25.5%
$58,228 vs $46,391
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+25.6%
$76,377 vs $60,817
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+25.7%
$45,225 vs $35,969
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+26.6%
$58,739 vs $46,391
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+28.0%
$59,379 vs $46,391
Education Other
Master's Degree · Education
+28.5%
$59,635 vs $46,391

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

51
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
67%
$51,446 debt · $76,377 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
54%
$74,902 debt · $138,766 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
43%
$19,500 debt · $45,225 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
43%
$29,440 debt · $69,342 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
41%
$21,500 debt · $51,882 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
40%
$19,490 debt · $48,774 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
40%
$21,500 debt · $54,093 earn
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
Bachelor Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
39%
$24,250 debt · $61,496 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1927Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 18

Action history · 20

  1. Feb 2026Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  2. Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Dec 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Aug 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,444
$30–48k$12,977
$48–75k$16,475
$75–110k$22,343
$110k+$30,147

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$23,322
+$5,905vs R2 Research median $17,418
Federal loans
29.0%
In-state tuition
$14,250
Out-of-state
$31,604

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 3,688 students received $21.4M in Pell grants, alongside $97.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,688
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$21.4M
$21,393,880 total
Direct Loans
$97.7M
11,707 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
3k
’22
3k
’23
4k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$14.6M
3,526 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$23.0M
5,257 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$7.0M
486 loan awards
Parent PLUS$51.5M
2,349 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.6M
89 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 3,234 borrowers who entered repayment, 26 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
3,234
Defaulted
26
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.3%
2017
2.3%
2018
2.0%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at James Madison

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs88
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

4,689 total completions
01Health Professions
99521.2%
02Business
86618.5%
03Communication
49910.6%
04Parks/Recreation
3898.3%
05Education
3878.3%
06Social Sciences
3697.9%
07Psychology
3527.5%
08Computer Sciences
3397.2%
09Visual/Performing Arts
2695.7%
10Biological Sciences
2244.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
22,740
12-mo unduplicated
25,591
Undergraduate
23,568
Graduate
2,023

Gender split

Men
44%11,186
Women
56%14,405

Race / ethnicity composition

White
72.3%
Hispanic
8.8%
Two or more
5.7%
Asian
5.3%
Black
4.7%
Unknown
2.3%
Non-resident
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
492
227 M · 265 W
Women athletes
53.9%
Athletic aid
$10.9M
Total student aid
Budget
$68.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$5.8M
$5.2M
Recruiting expense
$664K
$409K
Head-coach salaries
$362K
$158K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Football
121 M · —
$16.9M
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
— · 111 W
$2.2M
Soccer
30 M · 36 W
$3.6M
Basketball
17 M · 28 W
$8.1M
Baseball
41 M · —
$2.2M
Lacrosse
— · 35 W
$1.7M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.67
38 offenses · 22,758 students

3-year trend

0.772 yrs ago1.711 yr ago1.67Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
93
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
62
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
9
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
10
Rape
8
Fondling
8
Burglary
7
Aggravated assault
3
Arson
1
Robbery
1

By location

38total
  • On campus15
  • Non-campus22
  • Public property1

Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

9
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
6
Stalking
19 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Ethnicity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons10
Drugs265
Liquor141529

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,085

James Madison vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions James Madison selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectJames Madison University
80%—22,740$23,322R2 Research
William & Mary
89%34.1%9,818$19,096R2 Research
Middle Tennessee State University
54%69.1%20,488$13,359R2 Research
University of North Carolina Wilmington
71%64.2%18,848$20,109R2 Research
East Carolina University
63%89.2%26,940$15,739R2 Research
Arkansas State University
53%82.3%15,726$12,366R2 Research
Peer group median67%69.1%19,668$17,418

Institutions like James Madison

Explore the federal data for institutions in James Madison's comparison group.

IPEDS

James Madison Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Planning, Analytics & Institutional Research
Phone
540-568-7208
Address
Varner House, MSC 3803, 80 Bluestone Drive, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807

This page titled 'On and Off Campus Enrollment (E-04)' for James Madison University mainly provides contact details for the Planning, Analytics & Institutional Research office, including the address and phone number.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Lou Hedrick
    Associate Director for Institutional Research

Common Data Set

James Madison's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
68.8%
Accessible
Yield
16.8%
of admitted students enroll
Student–faculty ratio
21 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
42,595
Admitted
29,300
Enrolled
4,935

42,595 applied → 29,300 admitted (68.8%) → 4,935 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
68.8%

Accessible — 68.8% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men65.2%
women71.3%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1180
Median
1260
75th
1330

Middle 50% SAT 1180–1330 (median 1260).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
24
Median
27
75th
29

Middle 50% ACT 24–29 (median 27).

High-school class rank

C10

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Important2
First generationState residency
Considered10
Standardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendationsExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesGeographical residenceVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located35.2%
Federal34.7%
Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants21.1%
Scholarships/grants from external sources9.0%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
43%
Avg debt
$32,162

43% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $32,162 on average.

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students407
10-19 students936
20-29 students1,133
30-39 students617
40-49 students214
50-99 students235
100+ students189

36% of classes have under 20 students; 11% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
21 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
73%
Women faculty
52%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Health professions and related programs17.53%
Business/marketing15.11%
Communication/journalism9.69%
Parks and recreation7.19%
Social sciences6.96%
Computer and information sciences6.61%
Psychology6.47%
Visual and performing arts5.11%

STEM-dominant: ~15% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

04

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,769
Admitted
1,346
Enrolled
808

1,769 transfer applicants → 1,346 admitted (76.0%) → 808 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about James Madison University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about James Madison.

What is the graduation rate at James Madison University?

James Madison University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 80% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend James Madison University?

James Madison University reports a total enrollment of 22,740 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at James Madison University?

The average net price at James Madison University is $23,322 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at James Madison University?

James Madison University's yield rate is 18.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is James Madison University located?

James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807.

Who runs Institutional Research at James Madison University?

James Madison University's IR work is done by the Planning, Analytics & Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about James Madison University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card