James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia · Public · 20,888 undergraduates · jmu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
69%
of 42,595 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1180 to 1330
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$37,540Est.Estimate
$56,070 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at James Madison University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
69% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$56,070
a year in 2027-28, from a $56,070 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1260
Send your score
About 82% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1120, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- Send official score reports when you apply.
Source: First-Year Admission - JMU · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Source: First-Year Admission - JMU
Who gets in
69%
of applicants were admitted: 29,300 of 42,595 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 1/31.
Wait list
2,973 students were offered a spot; 704 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 16% of them sent SAT scores and 3% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1180 to 1330
Reading and Writing 590 to 690
Math 570 to 660
ACT composite 24 to 29
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$37,540
a year, in state
$56,070
a year, out of state (tuition $34,090)
- Tuition (in state)$15,560
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$14,379
- $30,001 to $48,000$14,452
- $48,001 to $75,000$16,960
- $75,001 to $110,000$22,031
- Over $110,000$31,907
Financial aid
42%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$10,857
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
4.5%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $8,287 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 1/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 3/1
- The last day to send aid forms.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
37 of 37
Earn credit with a score of 3
19 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,560Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | FDS 102 or ART 292 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | ART 000 or ART 292 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 2 | AAAD 000 |
| African American Studies | 4 | 3 | GNED 142 |
| Art History | 4 | 3 | ARTH 206 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIO 140/BIO 140L |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIO 140/BIO 140L & BIO 150/BIO 150L or ISAT 113,ISCI 104 & BIO 000 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 4 | MATH 235 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 8 | MATH 235 & MATH 236 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 4 | MATH 235 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHEM 120 and CHEM 000 or ISCI 101 and ISCI 104 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM 131 & CHEM 131L and CHEM 132 & CHEM 131L-132L or CHEM 120 & CHEM 000 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 6 | CHEM 131 & CHEM 132 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | CHIN 231 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 3 | POSC 240 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | CS 000 |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 3 | CS 149 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CS 000 |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 | ART 000 or ART 292 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | WRTC 103 |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 3 | GNED 123 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 | ENVT 101 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 8 | ISAT 112 & ISAT 000 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 8 | GEOL 115, ISCI 104 & ISAT 000 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 000 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FR 231 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | GER 231 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 200 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | ITAL 231 |
| Latin | 3 | 3 | LAT 231 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 200 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 201 |
| Music Aural Subscore | 5 | 1 | MUS 143 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | ISCI 101 & ISCI 104 or PHYS 140 & PHYS 140L |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PHYS 150 & PHYS 150L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHYS 150 & PHYS 150L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PHYS 250 & PHYS 150L |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHYS 140 & PHYS 140L |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PHYS 240 & PHYS 140L |
| Psychology | 4 | 3 | PSYC 101 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPAN 231 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPAN 231 |
| Statistics | 4 | 3 | MATH 220 or ISAT 251 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 4 | POSC 225 |
| United States History | 4 | 4 | HIST 225 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 3 | HIST 102 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
80%
Come back for a second year
92%
Typical earnings
$75,482
a year, 10 years after starting here
- James Madison University$74,624
- All colleges$54,823
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 40 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with James Madison University. The James Madison University logo is a trademark of the college.