by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you want to know more about James Madison University Graduate School, such as what degree programs it offers, how diverse it is, how well it ranks, and more, this is your one-stop resource. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
Each year, College Factual releases its Best Quality Schools ranking to identify graduate schools that offer a great educational experience and provide excellent student outcomes.Factors that go into these rankings include how much money students make after graduation, the number of FTE students per instructor, and how much debt students take on to attend the school.
Out of a field of 4,630 colleges and universities considered in the 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking, James Madison University landed the #41 spot.In addition, JMU took the #3 spot for Best Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia.
### Best Graduate Schools RankingIn College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, JMU took the #41 spot out of 4,630 schools. In addition, JMU took the #3 spot for Best Graduate Schools in Virginia.
For the last year in which we have data, 1,767 graduate students decided that James Madison University was the best place for them.In order to come up with a feel for how diverse the school is, College Factual analyzed the demographics of these students.Here is what we found.
The total graduate student population at JMU is made up of 67.9% women and 32.1% men. Note that these percentages may differ for certain degree programs.
About 22.0% of the graduate students who attend JMU are from a racial-ethnic minority group*.JMU is popular with people from outside the United States, too. International students make up 6.0% of the graduate student population.For more details on graduate school diversity at the school, check out the chart below. If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a page with more details.
Data on the average tuition and fees for full-time graduate students at the school is not available.
The typical graduate student at JMU who borrowed carries a median debt of $21,218.
Master’s degree recipients from JMU earn an average early-career salary of $74,847.
Yearly salaries vary depending on the field of study, but the table below shows the highest-earning graduate fields of study at JMU based on the early-career earnings of recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $144,716 |
| Allied Health Professions | $133,378 |
| Accounting | $106,689 |
| Nursing | $97,814 |
| Public Administration | $82,861 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | $79,084 |
| Communication Sciences | $74,354 |
| Political Science & Government | $68,741 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | $68,668 |
| Student Counseling | $67,514 |
Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, James Madison University is a public institution.The location of JMU is great for students who prefer living in an urban area. Get more details about the location of James Madison University.
Contact details for JMU are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 800 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 |
| Phone: | 540-568-6211 |
| Website: | www.jmu.edu/ |
| Facebook: | www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/facebook |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/JMU |
Around 34.0% of JMU graduate students took at least one course online.Approximately 27.4% of grad students took all their classes online during that same time period.
Only the degree programs in which master’s degrees were awarded are listed here.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 35 | $106,689 |
| Allied Health Professions | 49 | $133,378 |
| Business Administration & Management | 81 | $144,716 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 7 | — |
| Communication & Media Studies | 16 | — |
| Communication Sciences | 54 | $74,354 |
| Computer Information Systems | 9 | — |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 2 | — |
| General Biology | 6 | — |
| General Education | 143 | $54,694 |
| General English Literature | 7 | — |
| General Psychology | 14 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 24 | $62,817 |
| History | 12 | — |
| Music | 8 | — |
| Nursing | 32 | — |
| Political Science & Government | 14 | — |
| Public Administration | 9 | $82,861 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 25 | $68,668 |
| Special Education | 3 | $60,188 |
| Student Counseling | 23 | $67,514 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 10 | $79,084 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 10 | — |
| Writing Studies | 5 | — |
Just like the master’s degree programs, only programs that had doctorate degrees awarded are shown here.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Child Development & Psychology | 3 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 8 | — |
| Communication Sciences | 10 | — |
| General Psychology | 6 | — |
| Music | 10 | — |
| Nursing | 11 | — |
| Other Interdisciplinary Studies | 5 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which James Madison University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 70 | — |
| Educational Assessment | 1 | — |
| Instructional Media Design | 11 | — |
| Security Science and Technology. | 20 | — |
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a post-masters certificate.
| Post-Masters Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Other Education | 27 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References