Centenary University vs James Madison University (JMU)

Centenary University and James Madison University, while both offering quality education, present distinct characteristics that cater to different student preferences. Centenary, a private institution in Hackettstown, New Jersey, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. In contrast, James Madison, a public university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, offers a larger and more diverse student population. Acceptance rates vary significantly, with Centenary being more accessible at 80% compared to James Madison's selective 67%. While both universities offer a range of undergraduate programs, Centenary focuses on liberal arts and professional studies, while James Madison excels in STEM fields and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further differences in graduation rates, student demographics, and other key aspects that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Centenary University	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Hackettstown, New Jersey	Harrisonburg, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.6%	86.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	990 - 1170	1140 - 1310
ACT range	15 - 22	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	1,346	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	1,314	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	235	4,767
Yield rate	17.9%	26.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,092	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$24,476	$18,528
Tuition	$33,550	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,028 Meal plan: $4,284	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,470	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $3,369	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,405	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,128 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	423 Men 24.6% Women 75.4%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	17.5%	N/A
International students	0.4%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	722	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Maryland Connecticut	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Agriculture Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.4%	81.8%
Dropout rate	28.4%	17.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,319 Year 2: $79,755 Year 3: $88,021 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,341 Year 2: $69,593 Year 3: $63,399 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,895 Year 2: $42,979 Year 3: $50,051 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,952 Year 2: $50,375 Year 3: $48,252 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $44,457 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,867 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $42,279 Agricultural Production Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,561 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,145 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $33,877 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,324 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $106,893 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $116,887 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,590 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $105,768 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,457 Year 2: $72,659 Year 3: $85,951 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,020 Year 2: $72,290 Year 3: $82,877 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,544 Year 2: $67,380 Year 3: $80,406 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,052 Year 2: $66,377 Year 3: $77,982 Systems Science and Theory (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,389 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $75,407 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,331 Year 2: $49,270 Year 3: $69,797 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,114 Year 2: $57,943 Year 3: $69,218 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,708 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $68,304

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Centenary University

The Catholic University of America