James Madison University Quick Facts

Ramiro Pena '15

Wilson Hall includes a large auditorium for performances and currently serves as JMU’s center for career planning and academic advising.

Olivia Ceccato '16, Arts and Entertainment Editor
December 10, 2014

James Madison University

Location: 800 S Main St, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Founded: In 1908, as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg

Tuition and fees for in state: $23,834

Enrollment: 20,181

Acceptance rate: 60.5%

Type: Public

Mascot: Duke dog

The JMU mascot, the Duke dog, is named after Madison's second president Dr. Samuel P. Duke.
Ramiro Pena ’15
The JMU mascot, the Duke dog, is named after Madison’s second president Dr. Samuel P. Duke.

James Madison, founded in 1908, is a public university. Programs are offered through the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Business, Education and Psychology, Integrated Science and Technology, and Science and Mathematics, and the Graduate School. It is a 472-acre campus full of mountains, farmland, and a wide sky full of stars in the Shenandoah Valley. JMU is constantly ranked among the top 40 business programs in the nation. First-year students are guaranteed housing for the academic year. Space for returning students is limited and offered to students on a first-come, first-served basis. Many upperclassmen live in off-campus apartments or fraternity and sorority houses. James Madison University has a beautiful campus, and is the place for you if you would prefer to stay in Virginia, if you like a challenge, bigger schools, and bigger sports teams.