James Madison University (JMU) vs Chico State

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Chico, California, home to James Madison University (JMU) and California State University-Chico (CSUC), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic offerings. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from across the nation, while CSUC's acceptance rate is more selective, resulting in a predominantly Californian student population. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for an enriching and transformative college journey.

	California State University-Chico	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Chico, California	Harrisonburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.5%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	1140 - 1310
ACT range	N/A	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		26.0%
Students submitting ACT score		5.0%
Total number of applicants	19,990	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	17,086	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,929	4,767
Yield rate	11.3%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,984 Out of state: $35,864	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$13,749	$18,528
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,609 Meal plan: $3,881	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)	63.0% Average amount $8,691	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $4,637	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $11,369	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,462 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	1,240 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	1.3%	N/A
International students	2.9%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,323	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Oregon Washington Arizona Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.4%	81.8%
Dropout rate	27.4%	17.4%
Transferred out	4.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,107 Year 2: $95,797 Year 3: $96,478 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,190 Year 2: $83,091 Year 3: $93,961 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,808 Year 2: $74,241 Year 3: $91,563 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,244 Year 2: $70,176 Year 3: $79,499 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,761 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $79,308 Engineering, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,803 Year 2: $66,355 Year 3: $76,389 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,879 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,258 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,880 Year 2: $66,222 Year 3: $74,116 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,298 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $69,321 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,812 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,680	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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.