James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public
Navora's full analysis of James Madison University — where an applicant's profile stands against the published cohort, requirements tracking, essays and deadlines — is free with an account.
See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
James Madison University admitted 71.5% of applicants university-wide (27,480 of 38,426).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 71.5% | 27,480 | 38,426 |
| In-state | 66.0% | 13,405 | 20,306 |
| Out-of-state | 77.7% | 14,075 | 18,120 |
| International applicants | 60.0% | 90 | 150 |
| Men | 67.4% | 10,663 | 15,832 |
| Women | 74.4% | 16,811 | 22,587 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 27,480 admitted students, 4,990 enrolled (18.2% yield).
James Madison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1190–1330
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 24–29
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
James Madison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $50,622/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $25,496 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $25,126 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $50,622/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $11,444 |
| $30k–48k | $12,977 |
| $48k–75k | $16,475 |
| $75k–110k | $22,343 |
| Over $110k | $30,147 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- JMU Excellence Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Centennial Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
- JMU Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- JMU Excellence Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
- International Merit Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (International Aid)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
James Madison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Online application with $70 fee
- Official high school transcript including senior year schedule
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
- Personal essay (optional)
- SAT/ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Online application with $70 fee
- Official high school transcript including senior year schedule
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
- Personal essay (optional)
- SAT/ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
James Madison University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
- If there is something important we should know about you, this is the place to talk about it. You have up to 650 words to share anything you would like to tell us.650 words · Optional
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $69,954
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 79.7%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 91.9%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $20,093
- At graduation
James Madison University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #151
- WSJ: #102
- Forbes: #121
- Niche: #234
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
James Madison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (14%), Social sciences (8%), Psychology (6%).
Student–faculty ratio: 17:1 · 36% of class sections have under 20 students.
James Madison University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.