James Madison University (JMU) vs College of Charleston (CofC)

Nestled in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, James Madison University (JMU) stands as a beacon of academic excellence, while the College of Charleston (CofC) exudes Southern charm and academic rigor in the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. Both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities for personal and intellectual growth, but they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. From acceptance rates and popular majors to student body demographics and graduation rates, this comprehensive comparison will help you discern the nuances between these two esteemed institutions, empowering you to make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	College of Charleston	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	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	83.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.1%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1090 - 1280	1140 - 1310
ACT range	23 - 29	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	24.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	20,484	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	15,590	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,473	4,767
Yield rate	15.9%	26.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $30,535 Out of state: $51,995	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$20,255	$18,528
Tuition	In state: $12,518 Out of state: $33,978	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,409 Meal plan: $4,550	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)	98.0% Average amount $9,850	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $5,362	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $22,293	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,967 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	974 Men 22.6% Women 77.4%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	53.1%	N/A
International students	1.2%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	3,338	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Communication and Journalism Business Social Sciences	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	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	67.0%	81.8%
Dropout rate	6.0%	17.4%
Transferred out	26.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,600 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $78,911 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,306 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $72,292 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,506 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $70,637 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,151 Year 2: $43,519 Year 3: $56,541 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,823 Year 2: $42,930 Year 3: $55,591 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,896 Year 2: $40,688 Year 3: $48,268 Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,234 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $46,902 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,857 Year 2: $36,460 Year 3: $45,816 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,619 Year 2: $43,000 Year 3: $44,802 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,551 Year 2: $31,848 Year 3: $44,802	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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