James Madison University (JMU) vs MSU Bulldogs

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Starkville, Mississippi, home to James Madison University (JMU) and Mississippi State University (MSU), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique identities. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from across the nation, while MSU's strong in-state focus results in a more regional student population. Explore the nuances of each institution, from their popular majors in business and engineering to their contrasting graduation rates, in the comprehensive comparison table provided. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, embarking on a journey toward success in higher education.

	James Madison University	Mississippi State University
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Mississippi State, Mississippi
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
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	91.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	76.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1030 - 1280
ACT range	24 - 29	21 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	9.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	91.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	17,707
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	13,478
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	3,388
Yield rate	26.1%	25.1%
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: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219	In state: $26,460 Out of state: $42,140
Average net price	$18,528	$16,175
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $9,110 Out of state: $24,790
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $6,612 Meal plan: $4,200
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	97.0% Average amount $12,948
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	42.0% Average amount $5,388
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	6.0% Average amount $14,099

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	18,584 Men 49.6% Women 50.4%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	4,502 Men 45.3% Women 54.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	41.2%
International students	1.4%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	6,513	5,333
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Mississippi Tennessee Alabama Georgia Louisiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Engineering Education Business Agriculture Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
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%	59.7%
Dropout rate	17.4%	38.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,348 Year 2: $88,527 Year 3: $99,184 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $84,211 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $90,129 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,757 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $82,587 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,632 Year 2: $73,852 Year 3: $79,309 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,768 Year 2: $74,405 Year 3: $78,161 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,878 Year 2: $69,710 Year 3: $76,651 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,741 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,725 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,809 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $68,041 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,551 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $66,010 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,870 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $64,799

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James Madison University (JMU) vs MSU Bulldogs

James Madison University

Mississippi State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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