10-yr median earnings
$69,954
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Harrisonburg, Virginia
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public institution in Harrisonburg, Virginia. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $23,322
- Avg net price / yr
- $69,954
- 10-yr median earnings
- 80.3%
- 150%-time completion
- 71.5%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
James Madison University pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 7%
- former-student earnings, US
- 71.5%
- acceptance rate
- 80.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +22%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this James Madison University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B-
College Value Score
69/100
James Madison University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$69,954
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$23,322
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A
80.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,093
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
87.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
92.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$23,322
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
80.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 80.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - James Madison University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How James Madison University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
James Madison University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$69,954 Top 7% higher than 93% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | James Madison University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $69,954 | #378 of 5103 | 93rd |
| Average net price | $23,322 | #3693 of 5020 | 26th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.3% | #702 of 4858 | 86th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 20,888 | #125 of 5462 | 98th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
20,888
Undergraduate enrollment
71.5%
Acceptance rate
1,256
SAT average
80.3%
150%-time completion
$69,954
10-yr median earnings
92.0%
First-year retention
How James Madison University ranks in Virginia
State rank among 125 reporting Virginia colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | James Madison University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $69,954 | #12 of 125 | 90th |
| Average net price | $23,322 | #76 of 107 | 29th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.3% | #11 of 102 | 89th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 20,888 | #5 of 126 | 96th |
Highest former-student earnings in Virginia
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee University | $94,810 | $23,781 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-Virginia | $92,405 | $33,199 |
| 3 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | $86,863 | $21,565 |
| 4 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $81,698 | $24,953 |
| 5 | Sentara College of Health Sciences | $77,821 | - |
| 6 | Virginia Military Institute | $77,369 | $17,113 |
| 7 | Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing | $77,014 | - |
| 8 | George Mason University | $76,343 | $17,915 |
| 9 | University of Richmond | $76,178 | $31,309 |
| 10 | William & Mary | $73,490 | $19,096 |
| 11 | Southside College of Health Sciences | $71,380 | - |
| 12 | James Madison UniversityThis school | $69,954 | $23,322 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 71.5% |
| SAT Average | 1,256 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 570 – 660 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 600 – 680 |
| ACT Average | 27 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 24 – 29 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at James Madison University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $11,444
$0 – $30k
$11,444 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$12,977 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$16,475 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$30,147 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at James Madison University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $14,250 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $31,604 |
| Average Net Price | $23,322 |
17.1%
Pell Grant Rate
29.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,093
Median Debt
$213/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what James Madison University costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +21.7% over 10 years, from $17,924 to $21,816 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $17,9242023 · $21,816
Over the same years, enrollment went +13.1% (18,127 → 20,497 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
61.3%
Female
20.8%
First Generation
Outcomes
92.0%
Retention Rate
$57,438
Median Earnings (6yr)
79.4%
Earning Over $25K
87.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 80.3% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 92.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $57,438 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $69,954 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 79.4% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 87.1% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $20,093 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $213/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 44 | 4,647 | $70,976 | $113,345 | $20,202 |
| Master's | 19 | 692 | $85,782 | $150,316 | $32,997 |
| Doctoral | 1 | 9 | - | - | - |
Top programs at James Madison University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$150,316 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$138,766 median earnings
- Information Science/Studies
Information Science/Studies
$113,345 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$111,224 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$106,786 median earnings
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$104,926 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$104,806 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$98,767 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
Middletown, PA
$23,330 net price · $8 apart
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA
$23,331 net price · $9 apart
Nebraska Indian Community College
Macy, NE
$23,334 net price · $12 apart
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR
$23,405 net price · $83 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at James Madison University? ▼
James Madison University is a public institution in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The acceptance rate is 71.5%. The average SAT score is 1,256. Undergraduate enrollment is 20,888 students.
How much do James Madison University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at James Madison University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $69,954 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $57,438.
How much does James Madison University cost? ▼
The average net price at James Madison University is $23,322. In-state tuition is $14,250 and out-of-state tuition is $31,604. Median student debt at graduation is $20,093.
What is the graduation rate at James Madison University? ▼
James Madison University has a 80.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 92.0%.
Is James Madison University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at James Madison University is $20,093, while former students earn a median of $69,954 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 29% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 87.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $213.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from James Madison University
- Compare James Madison University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Virginia side by side.Browse Virginia
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.