James Madison University (JMU) vs Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. James Madison University (JMU) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) are two distinct institutions with unique offerings. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to EKU's 86%, indicating a more competitive admissions process. JMU's student body is larger, with over 21,000 undergraduates, while EKU has a more intimate community of around 15,000 undergraduates. Both universities offer a diverse range of majors, with JMU excelling in fields like business, nursing, and education, while EKU is known for its strong programs in aviation, social work, and health sciences. JMU's graduation rate stands at 77%, while EKU's is slightly lower at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into specific data points and make an informed decision that aligns with

	Eastern Kentucky University	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Richmond, Kentucky	Harrisonburg, Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	74.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	98.3%	86.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	950 - 1180	1140 - 1310
ACT range	18 - 24	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	4.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	88.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	7,251	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	7,131	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,493	4,767
Yield rate	35.0%	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	In state: $23,762 Out of state: $34,034	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$14,271	$18,528
Tuition	In state: $9,452 Out of state: $19,724	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,416 Meal plan: $3,994	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $9,891	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $4,950	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $10,455	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,684 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	2,300 Men 30.0% Women 70.0%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.1%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,479	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Illinois Indiana West Virginia	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Liberal Arts Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	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	47.8%	81.8%
Dropout rate	48.5%	17.4%
Transferred out	1.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $110,878 Year 3: $113,532 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,123 Year 2: $90,291 Year 3: $95,519 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,935 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $78,046 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,209 Year 2: $74,105 Year 3: $74,692 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,585 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,030 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $54,959 Year 2: $60,523 Year 3: $62,961 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,605 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $62,600 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,959 Year 2: $60,523 Year 3: $61,708 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,702 Year 2: $49,787 Year 3: $58,036 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,745 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,935	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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