James Madison University (JMU) vs Liberty University

When it comes to higher education, James Madison University and Liberty University stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. JMU, a public research university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to Liberty's (50%), a private Christian university. JMU's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population, while Liberty's student body is predominantly white and Christian. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors such as business, nursing, and education. However, JMU has a higher graduation rate (78%) than Liberty (68%). To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting the key differences between these two universities. Explore the table to find the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	James Madison University	Liberty University
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Lynchburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	99.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1140 - 1310	N/A
ACT range	24 - 29	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	28,448
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	28,244
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	5,461
Yield rate	26.1%	19.3%
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: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219	$42,620
Average net price	$18,528	$27,891
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	$21,663
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $4,560
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	31.0% Average amount $9,594	89.0% Average amount $12,431
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	52.0% Average amount $5,619
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	9.0% Average amount $17,351

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	47,696 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	47,013 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	76.0%
International students	1.4%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	8,222
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia North Carolina Pennsylvania Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Education Business Health Professions Psychology Theology
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.8%	62.1%
Dropout rate	17.4%	30.2%
Transferred out	N/A	5.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,316 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $91,964 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,385 Year 2: $80,964 Year 3: $87,831 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,657 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $77,205 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,410 Year 2: $72,022 Year 3: $73,900 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,556 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $65,313 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,731 Year 2: $62,936 Year 3: $64,580 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,576 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $62,807 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,423 Year 2: $57,714 Year 3: $62,225 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $40,885 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $62,169 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $58,240 Year 2: $59,895 Year 3: $61,052

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James Madison University (JMU) vs Liberty University

James Madison University

Liberty University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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