UTC-Chattanooga vs James Madison University (JMU)

Nestled in the vibrant city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the historic town of Harrisonburg, Virginia, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC) and James Madison University (JMU) stand as two distinct academic havens, each offering a unique educational experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. This side-by-side comparison delves into these differences, providing valuable insights to help prospective students find the institution that best aligns with their aspirations and goals. Explore the comprehensive table below to discover which university offers the right fit for your academic journey.

	James Madison University	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Chattanooga, Tennessee
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.3%	85.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1140 - 1310	1030 - 1230
ACT range	24 - 29	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	89.0%
Total number of applicants	21,176	7,607
Total number of admissions given out	18,265	6,518
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,767	2,074
Yield rate	26.1%	31.8%
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: $24,798 Out of state: $40,916
Average net price	$18,528	$13,552
Tuition	In state: $7,460 Out of state: $23,800	In state: $7,992 Out of state: $24,110
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,564 Meal plan: $5,986	Room/dormitory: $6,348 Meal plan: $4,114
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	96.0% Average amount $9,566
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,199	44.0% Average amount $4,907
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,776	4.0% Average amount $10,148

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	20,070 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	10,016 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
Graduate students	2,096 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%	1,441 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.5%
International students	1.4%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	6,513	3,488
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Tennessee Georgia Alabama Virgin Islands California

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Engineering Business Education Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	18:1
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%	53.7%
Dropout rate	17.4%	44.3%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
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: $146,119 Year 2: $145,898 Year 3: $147,996 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,736 Year 2: $76,041 Year 3: $80,605 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,245 Year 2: $72,883 Year 3: $78,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,841 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $74,942 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,600 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,667 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,404 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $71,084 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,427 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $70,983 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,615 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $69,556 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,269 Year 2: $71,255 Year 3: $69,322 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,241 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,753

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UTC-Chattanooga vs James Madison University (JMU)

James Madison University

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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