James Madison University (JMU) vs UNC-Greeley

When it comes to higher education, James Madison University (JMU) and the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) stand out as two compelling options for prospective students. JMU, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to UNC's 70% in Greeley, Colorado. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with JMU excelling in fields like nursing, business, and education, while UNC shines in areas such as engineering, music, and health sciences. JMU's student body is slightly larger, with over 21,000 undergraduates, while UNC has a more intimate community of around 12,000 undergraduates. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with JMU's four-year rate at 68% and UNC's at 62%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more,
James Madison University logo

James Madison University

University of Northern Colorado logo

University of Northern Colorado

Overview

Location Harrisonburg, Virginia Greeley, Colorado
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% 69.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.3% 91.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1140 - 1310 970 - 1210
ACT range 24 - 29 19 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 26.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 8.0%
Total number of applicants 21,176 10,152
Total number of admissions given out 18,265 9,252
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,767 1,256
Yield rate 26.1% 13.6%
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: $27,308

Out of state: $40,427
Average net price $18,528 $17,128
Tuition
In state: $7,460

Out of state: $23,800
In state: $8,127

Out of state: $21,246
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,564

Meal plan: $5,986
Room/dormitory: $6,546

Meal plan: $5,606
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
98.0%
Average amount $8,308
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $5,199
49.0%
Average amount $4,866
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $18,776
5.0%
Average amount $12,652

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 20,070
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
7,357
Men 32.9% Women 67.1%
Graduate students 2,096
Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
2,991
Men 24.5% Women 75.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 15.4%
International students 1.4% 1.6%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 6,513 3,542
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Colorado California Texas Arizona New Mexico

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 81.8% 51.9%
Dropout rate 17.4% 12.7%
Transferred out N/A 33.5%
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,592
  • Year 2: $93,076
  • Year 3: $97,134
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,550
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $71,265
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,692
  • Year 2: $59,688
  • Year 3: $64,765
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,641
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $62,395
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,682
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $60,883
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,199
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $52,879
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,408
  • Year 2: $45,665
  • Year 3: $52,808
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,601
  • Year 2: $48,198
  • Year 3: $49,964
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,018
  • Year 2: $46,738
  • Year 3: $48,853
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,825
  • Year 2: $42,979
  • Year 3: $46,903

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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.
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