James Madison University (JMU) vs Illinois State

Envision yourself immersed in a vibrant college town, surrounded by a diverse student body and endless opportunities for personal growth. As you embark on your higher education journey, it's crucial to find a university that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences. To help you make an informed decision, we present a comprehensive comparison of James Madison University and Illinois State University. Delve into the details of acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes to discover which institution best suits your unique needs and aspirations. Explore the comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these two esteemed universities apart and make an informed choice that will shape your future.

	Illinois State University	James Madison University
Overview
Location	Normal, Illinois	Harrisonburg, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	91.5%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1000 - 1200	1140 - 1310
ACT range	21 - 27	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	51.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	11,913	21,176
Total number of admissions given out	10,905	18,265
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,374	4,767
Yield rate	30.9%	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	In state: $31,811 Out of state: $43,335	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219
Average net price	$21,033	$18,528
Tuition	In state: $11,524 Out of state: $23,048	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,494 Meal plan: $4,652	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)	91.0% Average amount $10,848	31.0% Average amount $9,594
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $5,065	33.0% Average amount $5,199
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,532	8.0% Average amount $18,776

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	17,674 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	2,559 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	4.2%	N/A
International students	2.8%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,560	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Missouri Wisconsin Michigan Iowa	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.3%	81.8%
Dropout rate	32.0%	17.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,556 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $102,485 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,002 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $78,276 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,303 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $77,896 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,576 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $73,936 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,516 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,000 Year 2: $64,791 Year 3: $70,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,829 Year 2: $65,194 Year 3: $65,533 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,294 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $64,567 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,313 Year 2: $52,781 Year 3: $64,241 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,480 Year 2: $54,470 Year 3: $63,207	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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