Penn State vs. JMU

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or James Madison University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn 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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Penn State Main Campus vs. James Madison University comparison
Penn State Main Campus James Madison University College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus James Madison University
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Overview

 Penn State JMU
Location University Park, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,028 22,224
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #260
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State JMU
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $24,744
Room & Board $12,744 $12,040
Avg Net Price $26,747 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 33%

Admission

 Penn State JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 30,727
Admitted 47,360 24,062
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 78.3%
Enrolled % 19.5% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.57
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 23/29
SAT Range 1210/1390 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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Penn State JMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State JMU
Graduation Rate 87% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $60,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,899
Median Loan Payment $277 $216

Diversity

 Penn State JMU
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 76%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 Penn State JMU
% In-State 51% 73%
% Out-of-State 40% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than JMU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 22,224 students)

Penn State vs. JMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or JMU?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 139% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.3% higher at Penn State than James Madison University ($35,946.00 vs. $24,744.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at James Madison University than Penn State ($18,274 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at James Madison University are 5.8% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,040 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than James Madison University (44% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by James Madison University students is 0.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,081 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 68 points higher than at JMU (1134)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at JMU (25)
  • JMU has a higher acceptance rate (78.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn 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 Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than James Madison University (87% vs. 81%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $55,300)
  • James Madison University students graduate with a $5,919 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,818)
  • JMU graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($216 vs. $277)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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