James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Virginia-Main Campus (UVA)

When it comes to higher education in Virginia, James Madison University (JMU) and University of Virginia-Main Campus (UVA) stand out as two of the most sought-after institutions. While both offer excellent academic programs and vibrant campus life, there are some key differences between the two that prospective students should consider. JMU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for many students. It also has a larger student body, resulting in a more diverse and lively campus community. UVA, on the other hand, has a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a more intimate and focused learning environment. Additionally, the two universities differ in their popular majors, with JMU excelling in fields like nursing, business, and education, while UVA is renowned for its strengths in engineering, law, and medicine. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences in greater detail, along with information on graduation rates

	James Madison University	University of Virginia-Main Campus
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: 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%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	20.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1380 - 1500
ACT range	24 - 29	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	52.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	47,971
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	9,951
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	3,889
Yield rate	26.1%	39.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	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: $36,314 Out of state: $70,696
Average net price	$18,528	$20,401
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $16,010 Out of state: $49,710
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $7,110 Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	31.0% Average amount $9,594	46.0% Average amount $19,612
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	25.0% Average amount $4,845
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	6.0% Average amount $11,030

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	17,294 Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	8,711 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	35.2%
International students	1.4%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	7,645
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia New York Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Business Health Professions Engineering Social Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
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%	93.7%
Dropout rate	17.4%	2.3%
Transferred out	N/A	3.6%
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	Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $185,710 Year 2: $162,255 Year 3: $193,013 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $157,071 Year 2: $155,263 Year 3: $176,237 Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,350 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $125,729 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,426 Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $120,362 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,239 Year 2: $95,739 Year 3: $109,956 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,639 Year 2: $92,077 Year 3: $108,272 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,682 Year 2: $90,146 Year 3: $101,904 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,602 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $95,939 Systems Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,487 Year 2: $82,808 Year 3: $94,931 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,807 Year 2: $70,596 Year 3: $84,597

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James Madison University (JMU) vs University of Virginia-Main Campus (UVA)

James Madison University

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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