Penn State Abington vs. JMU

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

 Penn State Abington JMU
Location Abington, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,090 22,224
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #694 #260
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Abington JMU
Tuition (In State) $14,684 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $24,586 $24,744
Room & Board $10,694 $12,040
Avg Net Price $20,460 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $9,589 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 33%

Admission

 Penn State Abington JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,463 30,727
Admitted 6,037 24,062
Acceptance Rate 93.4% 78.3%
Enrolled % 14.7% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/31 23/29
SAT Range 1070/1310 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 Abington JMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Abington JMU
Graduation Rate 44% 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 Abington JMU
% Men 59% 42%
% Women 41% 58%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 50% 76%
% Black 13% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 Penn State Abington JMU
% In-State 68% 73%
% Out-of-State 21% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • James Madison University is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (22,224 students vs. 3,090 students)

Penn State Abington vs. JMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Abington or JMU?

  • Penn State Abington is 91.1% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.6% higher at JMU than Penn State Abington ($24,744.00 vs. $24,586.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at James Madison University than Penn State Abington ($18,274 vs. $20,460)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 12.6% lower than costs at James Madison University ($10,694 vs. $12,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than James Madison University (79% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by James Madison University students is 5.1% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($10,081 vs. $9,589)

Penn State Abington vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 159 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming JMU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman JMU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than JMU (78.3%)

Penn State Abington vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Abington 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 Abington.

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Penn State Abington (81% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Penn State Abington 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 Abington graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,818)
  • JMU graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($216 vs. $277)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington 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/