Randolph College vs James Madison University (JMU)

Randolph College and James Madison University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Randolph College, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and undergraduate research. In contrast, James Madison University, a public research university, offers a wider range of academic programs and a larger student body, fostering a vibrant and diverse campus culture. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	James Madison University	Randolph College
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Lynchburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	93.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1140 - 1310	910 - 1140
ACT range	24 - 29	22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	25.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	1,161
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	1,089
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	138
Yield rate	26.1%	12.7%
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	$42,252
Average net price	$18,528	$23,166
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	$26,250
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	$11,000
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	100.0% Average amount $17,806
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	87.0% Average amount $5,577
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	10.0% Average amount $7,959

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	482 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	68 Men 23.5% Women 76.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.4%	4.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	621
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies English Language and Literature Communication and Journalism Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	8:1
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%	56.0%
Dropout rate	17.4%	14.7%
Transferred out	N/A	29.4%
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	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,121 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,646 Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A

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Randolph College vs James Madison University (JMU)

James Madison University

Randolph College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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