Mount St. Mary's University vs. JMU

Should I go to Mount St Mary's University or James Madison University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mount St. Mary's University 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Mason Virginia Tech VCU UVA CNU Old Dominion Mary Washington College William & Mary UD Elon ASU Penn State
Mount St Mary's University vs. James Madison University comparison
Mount St Mary's University James Madison University College 3 College 4
Mount St Mary's University James Madison University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Location Emmitsburg, MD Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,456 22,224
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #426 #260
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website msmary.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Tuition (In State) $44,330 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $44,330 $24,744
Room & Board $14,320 $12,040
Avg Net Price $24,379 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $36,155 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 33%

Admission

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,346 30,727
Admitted 3,458 24,062
Acceptance Rate 79.6% 78.3%
Enrolled % 13.3% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 23/29
SAT Range 1040/1250 1140/1320
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Graduation Rate 76% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,100 $60,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $20,899
Median Loan Payment $268 $216

Diversity

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
% Men 49% 42%
% Women 51% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 76%
% Black 12% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
% In-State 56% 73%
% Out-of-State 40% 26%

Campus

 Mount St. Mary's University JMU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • James Madison University is larger than than Mount St. Mary's University based on total student enrollment (22,224 students vs. 2,456 students)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. JMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mount St. Mary's University or JMU?

  • Mount St Mary's University is 476.9% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($44,330.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79.2% higher at Mount St. Mary's University than James Madison University ($44,330.00 vs. $24,744.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at James Madison University than Mount St. Mary's University ($18,274 vs. $24,379)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at James Madison University are 18.9% lower than costs at Mount St Mary's University ($12,040 vs. $14,320)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount St Mary's University than James Madison University (100% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount St Mary's University students is 258.6% larger than aid received James Madison University ($36,155 vs. $10,081)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mount St. Mary's University or JMU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between JMU or Mount St. Mary's University .

  • The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 121 points higher than at Mount St. Mary's University (1013)
  • Incoming JMU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Mount St. Mary's University (21)
  • Accepted freshman JMU students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Mount St. Mary's University (3.36)
  • Mount St. Mary's University has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than JMU (78.3%)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mount St. Mary's University 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 Mount St. Mary's University.

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Mount St Mary's University (81% vs. 76%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $4,200 more per year than Mount St. Mary's University graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $56,100)
  • James Madison University students graduate with a $5,101 lower median federal student loan debt than Mount St. Mary's University graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,000)
  • JMU graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Mount St. Mary's University graduates. ($216 vs. $268)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mount St. Mary's University students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 77%)

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