James Madison University (JMU) vs Towson

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. James Madison University (JMU) and Towson University (TU) are two excellent options for higher education, but they offer distinct experiences. JMU, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to TU's 64% in Towson, Maryland. JMU's student body is slightly larger, with over 21,000 undergraduates, while TU has approximately 18,000. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including business, nursing, and education. However, JMU excels in the arts and sciences, while TU is known for its strong programs in health professions and engineering. With graduation rates of 79% and 73% respectively, both universities prioritize student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about your academic

	James Madison University	Towson University
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Towson, Maryland
Campus setting	City: Small	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	91.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	87.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1040 - 1220
ACT range	24 - 29	21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	28.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	11,616
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	10,213
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	2,592
Yield rate	26.1%	25.4%
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: $28,126 Out of state: $43,178
Average net price	$18,528	$11,076
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $7,100 Out of state: $22,152
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $7,632 Meal plan: $6,650
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	73.0% Average amount $9,261
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	42.0% Average amount $5,098
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	5.0% Average amount $15,576

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	17,907 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	2,949 Men 22.9% Women 77.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	10.6%
International students	1.4%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	5,351
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Virginia

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.8%	72.3%
Dropout rate	17.4%	6.8%
Transferred out	N/A	18.9%
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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,447 Year 2: $107,906 Year 3: $122,885 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $73,340 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $94,047 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,795 Year 2: $83,768 Year 3: $85,948 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,262 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,242 Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $79,355 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,719 Year 2: $66,984 Year 3: $69,964 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,483 Year 2: $63,666 Year 3: $68,130 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,907 Year 2: $67,156 Year 3: $67,633 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $66,692 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,389 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $65,981

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

James Madison University (JMU) vs Towson

James Madison University

Towson University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About