James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia · Public · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $23,322What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 72%
Graduation rate: 80%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 20,888
In-state tuition: $14,250Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $31,604
SAT midpoint: 1,225
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $69,954Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$23,322

1/5

Better than 5% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

80%

5/5

Better than 92% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$69,954

5/5

Better than 87% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$20,093

4/5

Better than 60% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$31,735

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$23,322

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for James Madison University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	80%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	92%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$20,093
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$69,954

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at James Madison University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$81,761	136
Information Science/Studies	$80,173	149
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$76,490	286
Accounting and Related Services	$71,563	78
Engineering, General	$71,176	66
Finance and Financial Management Services	$67,849	129
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$65,931	130
Systems Science and Theory	$65,683	50
Economics	$62,286	58
Marketing	$61,692	170
Mathematics	$58,810	43
Science, Technology and Society	$54,235	71
Health and Medical Administrative Services	$53,913	69
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$49,408	146
Public Administration	$48,396	56
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	$48,118	26
Hospitality Administration/Management	$46,915	85
Chemistry	$45,799	28
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	$45,122	34
Geography and Cartography	$45,094	61
International Relations and National Security Studies	$44,667	53
Communication and Media Studies	$42,769	413
Political Science and Government	$42,128	110
Biotechnology	$41,832	32
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	$40,966	70
Music	$36,106	69
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$35,955	272
Biology, General	$34,159	179
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	$33,971	415
Fine and Studio Arts	$33,501	115
Psychology, General	$31,734	330
Social Work	$31,687	44
Sociology	$31,513	37
Anthropology	$30,686	23
History	$29,000	69
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other	$28,712	14
English Language and Literature, General	$26,049	39
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	$24,860	27
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$24,306	63
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	Not reported	138
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	Not reported	71
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	Not reported	37
International Business	Not reported	34
Special Education and Teaching	Not reported	30
Business/Managerial Economics	Not reported	16
Physics	Not reported	15
Applied Mathematics	Not reported	8
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language	Not reported	1
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Not reported	Not reported

All 49 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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