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Academics

James Madison University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at James Madison University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

17:1
Student to faculty ratio
30
Average class size
66%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

James Madison has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
503
10-19
846
20-29
1,098
30-39
623
40-49
232
50-99
250
100+
181

Honors Programs

James Madison University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on James Madison's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at James Madison University:

92%
First-year retention rate
66%
4-year grad rate
80%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $59,686. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$59,686
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are James Madison University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Psychology, General
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
125
189.8
254.6
319.4
384.2
449

The Full List

Major Graduates
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 179
  • Biotechnology 21
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 2
Business
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 166
  • Business Administration and Management, General 148
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 123
  • Finance, General 106
  • Accounting 90
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 12
  • Business/Managerial Economics 7
  • Accounting 6
  • Finance, General 6
  • Business Administration and Management, General 5
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 2
  • Finance and Financial Management Services, Other 0
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 426
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 13
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Information Science/Studies 146
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 127
  • Information Technology 10
  • Information Science/Studies 5
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 163
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 21
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 14
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 13
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 12
  • Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor 3
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 1
Engineering
  • Engineering, General 69
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 57
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 43
  • English Language and Literature, General 3
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 3
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General 20
Foreign Languages
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 19
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 14
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 449
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 274
  • Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 76
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 61
  • Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 2
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 1
  • Athletic Training/Trainer 0
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 0
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 0
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 0
History
  • History, General 70
  • History, General 8
Legal Professions And Studies
  • Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General 70
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 134
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 7
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 27
  • Financial Mathematics 4
  • Mathematics, General 3
  • Financial Mathematics 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Science, Technology and Society 62
  • Systems Science and Theory 52
Parks
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 176
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 139
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 2
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 21
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 6
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 33
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 21
  • Physics, General 16
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 294
  • Psychology, General 4
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 48
  • Public Administration 45
  • Public Administration 1
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 115
  • Economics, General 77
  • Sociology, General 54
  • International Relations and Affairs 54
  • Geography 48
  • Anthropology, General 31
  • Political Science and Government, General 6
  • International Relations and Affairs 5
  • Geography 4
  • Economics, General 3
  • Sociology, General 3
  • Anthropology, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 136
  • Music Performance, General 75
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 52
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 4
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 4
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
  • Music Performance, General 1
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