James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Georgia (UGA)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Athens, Georgia, home to James Madison University (JMU) and the University of Georgia (UGA), respectively. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option, while UGA's lower acceptance rate indicates a highly selective admissions process. Explore the nuances of each university's popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, meticulously presented in the comparison table below. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations, campus preferences, and personal growth goals.

	James Madison University	University of Georgia
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Athens, Georgia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
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%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	40.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1270 - 1450
ACT range	24 - 29	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	45.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	40.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	39,229
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	15,685
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	5,819
Yield rate	26.1%	37.1%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $29,293 Out of state: $46,219	In state: $26,622 Out of state: $45,662
Average net price	$18,528	$16,902
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $9,790 Out of state: $28,830
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $6,292 Meal plan: $4,036
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	92.0% Average amount $11,045
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	25.0% Average amount $5,227
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	3.0% Average amount $13,477

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	30,166 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	9,952 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	17.5%
International students	1.4%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	6,513	10,050
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Georgia Texas North Carolina Florida New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Business Communication and Journalism Education Health Professions Engineering
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%	87.8%
Dropout rate	17.4%	3.6%
Transferred out	N/A	7.5%
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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $107,603 Year 2: $120,325 Year 3: $122,859 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,544 Year 2: $111,283 Year 3: $122,491 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $117,307 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,726 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $92,754 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,513 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $91,218 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $87,059 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $85,532 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,138 Year 2: $68,778 Year 3: $79,772 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,908 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $79,190 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $64,622 Year 2: $64,068 Year 3: $78,529 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $79,002 Year 2: $77,144 Year 3: $77,709

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James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Georgia (UGA)

James Madison University

University of Georgia

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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