Ferrum College vs James Madison University (JMU)

Ferrum College and James Madison University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Ferrum College, a private liberal arts college, boasts a close-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while James Madison University, a public research university, offers a wider range of academic programs and a larger student body. With acceptance rates of 68% and 73%, respectively, both universities welcome a diverse student population. Ferrum College's student body is predominantly female, while James Madison University's is more evenly balanced. Popular majors at Ferrum College include Business, Education, and Psychology, while James Madison University offers a broader range of programs, including Engineering, Nursing, and Integrated Science and Technology. With graduation rates of 58% and 77%, respectively, both institutions are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ferrum College	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Ferrum, Virginia	Harrisonburg, Virginia
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	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	57.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.4%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	920 - 1180	1140 - 1310
ACT range	18 - 24	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	15.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	7.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	1,671	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	1,277	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	220	4,767
Yield rate	17.2%	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	$53,080	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$22,278	$18,528
Tuition	$36,480	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	$12,400	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)	99.0% Average amount $29,653	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	84.0% Average amount $5,940	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $13,700	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	863 Men 59.3% Women 40.7%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	6 Men 16.7% Women 83.3%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	2.8%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,439	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Natural Resources and Conservation Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	34.3%	81.8%
Dropout rate	53.2%	17.4%
Transferred out	12.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,791 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,680 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,667 Year 2: $29,322 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,122 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,394 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,382 Year 2: N/A 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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