Rankings

• On numerous occasions James Madison University has been ranked as the top public, master's-level university in the South in the highly regarded annual poll on academic quality conducted by U.S. News & World Report for its America's Best Colleges guidebook.
• JMU has repeatedly had the highest graduation rate — 80 percent — among both public and privates colleges in the South in the U.S. News & World Report poll.
• JMU's strong emphasis on undergraduate research has been recognized in the U.S. News' America's Best Colleges guidebook.  JMU was one of 35 colleges in the nation, and one of only 12 public colleges, listed in the guidebook's "Programs to Look For" section for excellence in "undergraduate research/creative projects" opportunities for students earning bachelor's degrees. The hands-on, learning-by-doing research experiences at James Madison are significant in preparing students for graduate study and research as well as for jobs.
• JMU has placed as high as No. 21 nationally in The Kiplinger 100, a listing of best values in public colleges — among schools selected for "their combination of top-flight academics and affordable costs" — as published in the "Kiplinger's Personal Finance" magazine.
• The Princeton Review's guide, America's Best Value Colleges, has also selected JMU as one of the nation's best values for a college education. The guidebook, published in spring, profiles undergraduate institutions that offer excellent academics, generous financial-aid packages and relatively low costs.
• Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of "The New York Times," included JMU in his highly regarded book, "The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007." It notes that "an emphasis on undergraduate teaching, close student/faculty interaction, and a warm and welcoming climate are business as usual at JMU."
• With more than 54 of its alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in developing countries, JMU ranks high in the nation among large colleges (those with more than 15,000 undergraduates).  Recently, JMU has been ranked as high as second in the nation among medium-sized colleges and universities for graduates serving as volunteers with the U.S. service program.
• JMU 's College of Business was recognized by Business Week magazine as being one of the nation's Top 50 Undergraduate Business Schools.