Florida State vs. JMU vs. UCLA

Should I go to Florida State University or James Madison University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Florida State or JMU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Florida State University vs. James Madison University vs. University of California Los Angeles comparison
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Overview

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Location Tallahassee, FL Harrisonburg, VA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City Large City
Enrollment 44,161 22,224 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #199 #260 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website fsu.edu jmu.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Tuition (In State) $4,022 $7,684 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $16,540 $24,744 $41,636
Room & Board $11,592 $12,040 $17,231
Avg Net Price $14,003 $18,274 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $10,169 $10,081 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 33% 46%

Admission

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate Calculate
Applied 78,088 30,727 149,801
Admitted 19,552 24,062 12,845
Acceptance Rate 25% 78.3% 8.6%
Enrolled % 30.9% 20.2% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.57 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 26/31 23/29 29/35
SAT Range 1210/1370 1140/1320 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2024 Jan 15, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Graduation Rate 74% 81% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,400 $60,300 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 83% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,750 $20,899 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $214 $216 $168

Diversity

 Florida State JMU UCLA
% Men 42% 42% 43%
% Women 58% 58% 57%
Racial Diversity Medium Low Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 64% 76% 27%
% Black 8% 4% 3%
% Hispanic 19% 6% 21%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4% 5%
% International 1% 2% 13%
% Unknown Race 1% 3% 2%

Students

 Florida State JMU UCLA
% In-State 85% 73% 77%
% Out-of-State 14% 26% 15%

Campus

 Florida State JMU UCLA
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No
Daycare Facility Yes No Yes
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida State University is larger than than JMU based on total student enrollment (44,161 students vs. 22,224 students)

Florida State vs. JMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida State or JMU?

  • James Madison University is 91% more expensive to attend than Florida State for in-state tuition ($7,684.00 vs. $4,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.6% higher at JMU than Florida State University ($24,744.00 vs. $16,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida State University than JMU ($14,003 vs. $18,274)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida State University are 3.9% lower than costs at James Madison University ($11,592 vs. $12,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida State University than James Madison University (89% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida State University students is 0.9% larger than aid received James Madison University ($10,169 vs. $10,081)

Florida State vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Florida State or JMU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between JMU or Florida State .

  • The average SAT score at Florida State University (1215) is 81 points higher than at JMU (1134)
  • Incoming Florida State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at JMU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Florida State students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at JMU (3.57)
  • JMU has a higher acceptance rate (78.3%) than Florida State (25%)

Florida State vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida State or JMU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between JMU and Florida State.

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Florida State University (81% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $8,900 more per year than Florida State graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $51,400)
  • Florida State University students graduate with a $149 lower median federal student loan debt than JMU graduates. ($20,750 vs. $20,899)
  • Florida State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than JMU graduates. ($214 vs. $216)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/