James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. James Madison University (JMU) and University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass-Amherst) are two excellent options with distinct characteristics. JMU, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to UMass-Amherst's 67%. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including business, engineering, and nursing. However, UMass-Amherst has a larger student body, with over 28,000 undergraduates, while JMU has a more intimate community of around 21,000 undergraduates. Additionally, UMass-Amherst has a slightly higher graduation rate (82%) compared to JMU's 79%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	James Madison University	University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Amherst, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
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%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	65.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $85
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1250 - 1460
ACT range	24 - 29	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	42,540
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	27,877
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	4,872
Yield rate	26.1%	17.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	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: $32,434 Out of state: $52,959
Average net price	$18,528	$17,291
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $15,791 Out of state: $36,316
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $7,611 Meal plan: $5,984
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	86.0% Average amount $10,662
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	39.0% Average amount $5,123
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	7.0% Average amount $15,924

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	24,231 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	7,814 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.4%	11.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,513	13,582
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York New Jersey Connecticut California New Hampshire

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Business Engineering Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.8%	83.7%
Dropout rate	17.4%	5.1%
Transferred out	N/A	10.5%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,236 Year 2: $99,741 Year 3: $118,959 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,497 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $105,578 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,216 Year 2: $78,232 Year 3: $95,030 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,683 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $94,055 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,391 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $79,970 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,906 Year 2: $67,202 Year 3: $79,007 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,222 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,636 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,607 Year 2: $68,647 Year 3: $74,913 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,719 Year 2: $65,594 Year 3: $74,578 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,571 Year 2: $63,646 Year 3: $73,746

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James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

James Madison University

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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