James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Iowa (UIowa)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Iowa City, Iowa, home to James Madison University (JMU) and the University of Iowa (UIowa), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and offer a diverse range of programs, they each possess unique characteristics that set them apart. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. UIowa, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong focus on student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions, including popular majors, student body demographics, and additional factors that will help you determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	James Madison University	University of Iowa
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Iowa City, Iowa
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%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	86.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1130 - 1350
ACT range	24 - 29	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	65.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	22,434
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	19,340
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	4,521
Yield rate	26.1%	23.4%
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: $24,686 Out of state: $46,649
Average net price	$18,528	$17,599
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $8,356 Out of state: $30,319
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	$11,780
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	71.0% Average amount $11,007
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	44.0% Average amount $5,282
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	10.0% Average amount $16,747

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	21,608 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	8,301 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	39.4%
International students	1.4%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	6,660
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin California

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Business Health Professions Engineering Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.8%	73.7%
Dropout rate	17.4%	7.2%
Transferred out	N/A	17.7%
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	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $125,938 Year 2: $134,155 Year 3: $142,171 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $85,649 Year 2: $112,215 Year 3: $121,442 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,222 Year 2: $96,991 Year 3: $113,045 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $107,534 Year 2: $103,913 Year 3: $108,049 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,863 Year 2: $69,757 Year 3: $81,687 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $61,283 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $81,057 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,973 Year 2: $69,657 Year 3: $80,787 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,231 Year 2: $71,351 Year 3: $80,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,094 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $78,583 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,942 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $71,106

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James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Iowa (UIowa)

James Madison University

University of Iowa

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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