James Madison University
James Madison University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
James Madison University Featured Rankings
- #2 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Cybersecurity
- #3 Virginia's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #5 Most Affordable Online Master's of Speech Pathology Programs
- #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #6 Virginia's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #8 Best Grad Schools in Virginia 2026
- #8 Best Public Colleges in Virginia
- #11 Best Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #15 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #18 Online Master's in Computer Science
- #19 Best Online RN-to-BSN
- #19 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees
- #45 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
About James Madison University
According to Wikipedia, James Madison University is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and then James Madison University in 1977. It is situated in the Shenandoah Valley, just west of Massanutten Mountain.
James Madison University's Online Degrees
MS in Computer Science: Information Security
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2.5 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Cyber Intelligence
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Required Credits: 9
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Required Credits: 11
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Education Technology
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Assessment Specialist
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MeD in Teacher Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MeD in Educational Technology
- Required Credits: 31-33
- Format: Fully online
MS in Speech Language Pathology
- Required Credits: 44-45
- Completion Time: 3 years
- Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing: RN to BSN
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
James Madison University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35,750 | 72% | 92% | 80% | 1255 | 26 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does James Madison University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $14,620 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $14,379 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,452 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,960 |
| 75K - 110K | $22,031 |
| 110K+ | $31,907 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do James Madison University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former James Madison University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $75,482 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
James Madison University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 24,589 | 22,601 | 1,988 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is James Madison University?
James Madison University is located at 800 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
How Safe is James Madison University?
James Madison University reported 0.5 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large partly residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, James Madison University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Harrisonburg has a violent crime rate of 0.27% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.70%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is James Madison University Known For?
James Madison University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- History
- Physics
- Economics
- Education
- Law
- Business
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Literature
- Engineering
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Social Work
- Anthropology
- Nursing
- Sociology
James Madison University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much James Madison University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
James Madison University ranks #233 in the U.S. and #1000 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesJames Madison University ranks #238 in the U.S. and #950 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesJames Madison University ranks #238 in the U.S. and #419 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesJames Madison University ranks #275 in the U.S. and #995 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesJames Madison University ranks #312 in the U.S. and #1231 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesJames Madison University ranks #360 in the U.S. and #1636 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesJames Madison University ranks #362 in the U.S. and #1017 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesJames Madison University ranks #382 in the U.S. and #1714 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesJames Madison University ranks #384 in the U.S. and #2324 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesJames Madison University ranks #385 in the U.S. and #1625 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesJames Madison University ranks #407 in the U.S. and #1392 worldwide for influence in Law.
James Madison University ranks #412 in the U.S. and #1445 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesJames Madison University ranks #424 in the U.S. and #1787 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesJames Madison University ranks #470 in the U.S. and #2330 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesJames Madison University ranks #490 in the U.S. and #1254 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesJames Madison University ranks #503 in the U.S. and #1535 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesJames Madison University ranks #510 in the U.S. and #3052 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesJames Madison University ranks #592 in the U.S. and #2199 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesJames Madison University ranks #633 in the U.S. and #2126 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesJames Madison University ranks #718 in the U.S. and #1763 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesJames Madison University ranks #740 in the U.S. and #2300 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesJames Madison University ranks #854 in the U.S. and #2215 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesJames Madison University ranks #958 in the U.S. and #3211 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are James Madison University's Most Influential Alumni?
James Madison University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Mathematics, and Earth Sciences. Here are some of James Madison University's most famous alumni:
- Tony Schiavone
- A Sports broadcaster.
- Marcia Angell
- A Physician.
- Matt Bondurant
- An American writer.
- Christopher Soghoian
- An American computer scientist.
- Gregg Henriques
- An American psychologist.
- Randy Borum
- An American academic.
- Jason Healey
- An American cyber security expert.
- Patricia Alexander
- An Educational psychologist.
- Priscilla K. Coleman
- An American psychologist and researcher.
- Alexandra Dunn
- An Environmental Law Practitioner and Professor.
- Jon Pineda
- An American writer.
- Laurie E. Locascio
- An American biomedical engineer.
Who Are James Madison University's Most Influential Faculty?
James Madison University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Mathematics, and Earth Sciences. Here are some of James Madison University's most famous faculty:
