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#7 Best Public Universities in Virginia

JMU Admission Requirements

Harrisonburg, Virginia

 3 Reviews

Chances of getting into James Madison University

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
86%
Admission Difficulty for James Madison University
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Difficult 
Applicant Competition Very Low 
How hard is it to get into JMU and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at JMU is 86%.  It ranks #25 in Virginia for lowest rate of acceptance. James Madison University is an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission requirements. Last year, 18,265 out of 21,176 applicants were admitted.

The school has difficult admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 30 percent on standardized admission tests. James Madison University typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.57. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top half of their high school class. 26% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to James Madison University. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 26% of students submitted SAT scores and 5% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

JMU SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1140-1310
Applicants Submitting SAT 
26%
SAT Scores for James Madison University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 580
SAT Math 25th 560
SAT Composite 25th 1140
SAT Scores for James Madison University
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 660
SAT Math 75th 650
SAT Composite 75th 1310
Average SAT Score 1230

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to James Madison University?

James Madison University is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into James Madison University score in the top 34 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1140-1310.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

James Madison University admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1310 and Above Good >92%
1225 to 1310 Avg + 86%-92%
1140 to 1225 Avg - 76%-86%
1055 to 1140 Reach 63%-76%
Less than 1055 Low <63%
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JMU ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
24-29 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
5%
ACT Scores for James Madison University
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th N/A
ACT Math 25th N/A
ACT Composite 25th 24
ACT Scores for James Madison University
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th N/A
ACT Math 75th N/A
ACT Composite 75th 29
Average ACT Score 26

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into JMU?

James Madison University is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

JMU regularly accepts students who score 24 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 27 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 24-29.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

James Madison University admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
29 and Above Good >93%
26 to 29 Avg + 86%-93%
24 to 26 Avg - 79%-86%
22 to 24 Reach 69%-79%
Less than 22 Low <69%
Calculate My Chances 

JMU GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.57*
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into James Madison University?

Applicants require very good grades in high school to get into JMU. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at James Madison University was 3.57 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #17 in Virginia for highest average GPA. If your high school grades are above the average 3.57 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as JMU accepts 86% of all applicants.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.57 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

85.4% of James Madison University freshman were in the top half of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted James Madison University students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 14.7%
Top 25% of class 28.2%
Top 50% of class 85%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

James Madison University admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 13,126 8,050 21,176
Accepted 11,700 6,565 18,265
Acceptance Rate 89% 82% 86%
Enrolled 2,743 2,024 4,767
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 23% 31% 26%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to James Madison University is $70.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to James Madison University and what student information is used for admission decisions?

James Madison University Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Required
Recommendations Recommended
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at James Madison University
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences Yes
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=232423 IPEDS survey data for James Madison University.

FAQs

Does James Madison University prefer SAT or ACT?

26% of students submit their SAT scores to JMU. 5% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into James Madison University?

86% of those who apply are granted admission to JMU. Admission competition is and the college has difficult admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for James Madison University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1140 and 1310. 26% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for James Madison University?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 24 and 29. 5% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.