James Madison University: A Comprehensive Look at Student Enrollment and Outcomes

James Madison University (JMU), a public institution nestled in Harrisonburg, Virginia, offers a wide array of academic and experiential opportunities to its nearly 20,000 undergraduate students. This article delves into various aspects of JMU's student enrollment, financial aid, retention, graduation rates, and other key indicators, providing a comprehensive overview of the university's performance and student success. Where applicable, comparison group data are included to provide a context for interpreting your institution’s indicators. If your institution did not define a custom comparison group for this report by July 15, 2023 NCES selected a comparison group for you.

Academic Environment and Student Resources

JMU distinguishes itself through its commitment to student success, offering a multitude of resources such as tutoring and career development services at the Student Success Center. Students highlight the "diversity of professions one can major and minor in," as well as "different tactics to teaching that aren't just lectures." The university emphasizes active learning, encouraging students to engage with the material and apply it practically. Innovative teaching methods, such as "reversed classrooms, where the content is primarily learned at home, and then reviewed in class to ensure understanding" and "a discussion-based simulation class," are implemented to enhance the learning experience. The availability of courses with practical applications, such as those held in the planetarium or for scuba diving, further enriches the academic environment.

Students also value the accessibility of faculty, noting that it is easy "to speak with professors about classes, careers, research, independent projects, etc."

Campus Life and Location

The JMU campus is described as "scenic," encouraging students to spend time there "throughout the day to do homework and study, go to the gym, and get food." The university fosters a vibrant campus life, where one may see "students reading, painting/drawing, or even playing music on the Quad."

JMU is accessible via various transportation options. Harrisonburg City Transit buses provide free transportation around campus and around Harrisonburg. There is an Amtrak train station in Staunton, VA (about 30 minutes away). The closest airport is Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (about 20 minutes away). There are major airports in Charlottesville (about 1 hour away), Richmond (about 2 hours away) and Washington DC (about 2 hours away). For those driving, specific directions are available: I-81 traveling North: Take EXIT 245 - Port Republic Rd/ VA-253. Turn LEFT on Port Republic Road and turn RIGHT at the second light onto Bluestone Drive. Pass the lake. The Office of Admissions, in Sonner Hall, will be on the LEFT. I-81 traveling South: Take EXIT 245 - Port Republic Rd/ VA-253. Turn RIGHT on Port Republic Road and take the first RIGHT, at the stoplight, onto Bluestone Drive. Pass the lake.

Read also: Enrollment at Notre Dame

Enrollment Statistics

Understanding the composition of the student body is crucial for assessing the university's impact. Data collected through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) provides insights into JMU's enrollment trends.

Fall Enrollment

Fall enrollment captures the number of students enrolled on a particular date in the fall. Total headcount, FTE, and full- and part-time fall enrollment include both undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students, when applicable. This "snapshot" of enrollment offers a valuable perspective on the university's size and student distribution.

FTE Enrollment

The full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment is the sum of the institution’s FTE undergraduate enrollment and FTE graduate enrollment. Undergraduate and graduate FTE are estimated using 12-month instructional activity (credit and/or clock hours). Analyzing FTE enrollment provides a standardized measure of the university's instructional workload.

12-Month Enrollment

12-month Enrollment captures a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

Admissions

Admission to JMU is competitive, with specific requirements for applicants. It is important to note that admissions data are presented only for institutions that do not have an open admission policy, and apply to first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students only.

Applicants and Admissions

Applicants include only those students who fulfilled all requirements for consideration for admission and who were notified of one of the following actions: admission, non-admission, placement on a wait list, or application withdrawn (by applicant or institution). Admitted applicants (admissions) include wait-listed students who were subsequently offered admission. Early decision, early action, and students who began studies during the summer prior to the fall reporting period are included.

Financial Aid

Financial aid plays a critical role in making higher education accessible. IPEDS data sheds light on the types and amounts of aid awarded to JMU students.

Financial Aid Recipients and Amounts

For the purpose of the IPEDS reporting, aid awarded refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. Student Financial Aid collects the counts of undergraduate students awarded different types of financial aid and the total amounts of aid awarded. The average dollar amount of aid awarded is then calculated. In addition, Student Financial Aid collects counts of full-time, first-time undergraduate students awarded aid and amounts of aid, and counts and disbursed amounts for undergraduate and graduate students receiving select military education benefits. Any grant aid above includes grant or scholarship aid awarded from the federal government, state/local government, or the institution. Federal grants include Federal Pell grants and other federal grants. Any loans include federal loans and other loans awarded to students. Average amounts of aid were calculated by dividing the total aid awarded by the unduplicated count of recipients at each institution.

Average Net Price

Average net price is calculated for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who were awarded grant or scholarship aid from the federal government, state/local government, or the institution anytime during the academic year. For public institutions, this includes only students who paid the lower of in-state or in-district tuition rate. Other sources of grant aid are excluded. Average net price is generated by subtracting the average amount of federal, state/local government, and institutional grant and scholarship awarded aid from the total cost of attendance. Total cost of attendance is the sum of published tuition and required fees (lower of in-district or in-state for public institutions), books and supplies, and the weighted average of food and housing and other expenses.

Tuition and Required Fees

Tuition is defined as the amount of money charged to students for instructional services, and required fees are those fixed sum charges to students for items not covered by tuition and that are required of such a large proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charge is an exception. The amounts used in this report are for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students and approximate those used by the financial aid office to determine the financial need. For institutions that have differential tuition rates for in-district or in-state students, the lowest tuition rate is used in the figure. Only institutions that operate on standard academic terms will have tuition figures included in their report.

Retention and Graduation Rates

Retention and graduation rates are key indicators of student success and institutional effectiveness.

Retention Rates

Retention rates are measured from the fall of first enrollment to the following fall. Academic reporting institutions report retention data for the Fall 2022 cohort of students who are still enrolled as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2023. Program reporters determine the cohort with enrollment any time between August 1 - October 31, 2022 and retention based on August 1, 2023. Four-year institutions report retention rates for students seeking a bachelor's degree.

Graduation Rates

Graduation rate cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. Graduation and transfer-out rates are the Student Right-to-Know rates. Only institutions with mission to prepare students to transfer are required to report transfer out. For more details, see the Methodological Notes. The graduation rates are the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) rates. Data were collected on those students, who at entry of the cohort, were awarded a Pell Grant and students who were awarded a Subsidized Stafford loan, but did not receive a Pell Grant. The 100%, 150% and 200% graduation rates are calculated using the number of students who completed a bachelor's or equivalent degree from a cohort of students who entered the institution seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree.

Outcome Measures

Award measures are based on the highest award received after 8 years of entry and enrollment measures are based on students who did not receive an award after 8 years of entry. Student cohorts (i.e., first-time, full-time; first-time, part-time; non-first-time, full-time; and non-first-time, part-time) are degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered the institution between July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016. Pell recipients are students with demonstrated financial need.

Data Collection and Methodology

It is important to understand the context in which these data are collected and analyzed. This report is based on data supplied by institutions to IPEDS during 2023-24 data collection year. Response rates exceeded 99% for most survey components. Furthermore, data used in this report are provisional level and may be revised for a limited time through the IPEDS Prior Year Revision system.

Comparison Group

This report compares your institution’s data to the median values of the comparison group for each indicator shown in the figure. If a figure contains multiple indicators, median values are determined separately for each indicator. The N value represents the number of institutions in the comparison group that has a value for each indicator. displayed. Medians are not displayed for comparison groups with fewer than three values. When percentage distributions are presented, median values may not add to 100%. The comparison group median is based on those members of the comparison group that report finance data using the same accounting standards as the comparison institution.

Data Imputation and Confidentiality

All IPEDS data are subject to imputation for total (institutional) and partial (item) nonresponse. If necessary, imputed values were used to prepare your report. IPEDS data are not collected under a pledge of confidentiality.

Disaggregation of Data by Race/Ethnicity

When applicable, some indicators are disaggregated by race/ethnicity. Data disaggregated by race/ethnicity have been reported using the 1997 Office of Management and Budget categories.

Cohort Determination

Student cohorts for reporting Student Financial Aid and Graduation Rates data are based on the reporting type of the institution. For institutions that report based on an academic year (those operating on standard academic terms), student counts and cohorts are based on fall term data. Student counts and cohorts for program reporters (those that do not operate on standard academic terms) are based on unduplicated counts of students enrolled during a full 12-month period, from July 1 to June 30. Student cohorts for reporting Outcome Measures are based on a full-year cohort from July 1 to June 30 for all degree-granting institutions.

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