Rankings
For the 13th consecutive year and 17th time, James Madison University 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 guidebook, 2007 America's Best Colleges.
JMU had the highest graduation rate — 80 percent — among both public and privates colleges in the South in the poll by U.S. News & World Report.
JMU's strong emphasis on undergraduate research was recognized in the U.S. News' 2007 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 placed at No. 21 nationally in The Kiplinger 100, a listing of best values in public colleges — schools selected for "their combination of top-flight academics and affordable costs" — published in the February 2007 issue of "Kiplinger's Personal Finance" magazine.
The Princeton Review's 2007 guide, America's Best Value Colleges, also selected JMU as one of the nation's best values for a college education. The guidebook, published in spring 2006, profiles 150 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."
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With 54 of its alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in developing countries, JMU ranked 14th in the nation among large colleges (those with more than 15,000 undergraduates) for 2007. JMU had ranked second in the nation among medium-sized colleges and universities for graduates serving as volunteers with the U.S. service program in a 2006 ranking.
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JMU 's College of Business was recognized by Business Week magazine as being one of the nation's Top 50 Undergraduate Business Schools.