Mary Baldwin University vs James Madison University (JMU)

Mary Baldwin University and James Madison University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Mary Baldwin, a private liberal arts university, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while James Madison, a public research university, offers a wider range of academic programs and a larger student body. With acceptance rates of 75% and 68%, respectively, both universities welcome a diverse group of students. Mary Baldwin's student body is predominantly female, while James Madison's is more evenly balanced. Popular majors at Mary Baldwin include psychology, business, and education, while James Madison offers a broader selection, including engineering, nursing, and computer science. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Mary Baldwin's at 68% and James Madison's at 76%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
James Madison University logo

James Madison University

Mary Baldwin University logo

Mary Baldwin University

Overview

Location Harrisonburg, Virginia Staunton, Virginia
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 64.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.3% 87.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $60
$45
SAT range 1140 - 1310 940 - 1120
ACT range 24 - 29 18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 26.0% 63.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 18.0%
Total number of applicants 21,176 7,188
Total number of admissions given out 18,265 6,261
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,767 358
Yield rate 26.1% 5.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA Required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $29,293

Out of state: $46,219
$46,150
Average net price $18,528 $17,525
Tuition
In state: $7,460

Out of state: $23,800
$30,690
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,564

Meal plan: $5,986
$9,730
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

31.0%
Average amount $9,594
100.0%
Average amount $25,086
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $5,199
79.0%
Average amount $5,597
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $18,776
5.0%
Average amount $10,189

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 20,070
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
1,489
Men 20.9% Women 79.1%
Graduate students 2,096
Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
653
Men 19.0% Women 81.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 1.4% 0.5%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,513 790
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 81.8% 47.9%
Dropout rate 17.4% 21.3%
Transferred out N/A 30.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,893
  • Year 2: $116,083
  • Year 3: $116,887
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,590
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $105,768
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,457
  • Year 2: $72,659
  • Year 3: $85,951
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,020
  • Year 2: $72,290
  • Year 3: $82,877
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,544
  • Year 2: $67,380
  • Year 3: $80,406
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,052
  • Year 2: $66,377
  • Year 3: $77,982
Systems Science and Theory (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,389
  • Year 2: $60,623
  • Year 3: $75,407
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,331
  • Year 2: $49,270
  • Year 3: $69,797
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,114
  • Year 2: $57,943
  • Year 3: $69,218
International Business (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,708
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $68,304
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,305
  • Year 2: $43,739
  • Year 3: $45,663
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,211
  • Year 2: $35,274
  • Year 3: $39,684
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,555
  • Year 2: $26,715
  • Year 3: $36,688
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $33,293
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,446
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: $32,752
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,891
  • Year 2: $30,409
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: N/A
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,420
  • Year 3: N/A

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