10 FOR 10 WITH U.S. NEWS
FOR THE 10TH YEAR, JMU TOOK THE TOP SPOT AMONG MASTER'S-LEVEL UNIVERSITIES IN THE SOUTH in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings. The newsmagazine's America's Best Colleges 2004 also ranked JMU third among all Southern master's universities, public and private. The two private institutions ranking ahead of JMU -- University of Richmond and Rollins College -- have tuition and fees several times higher than JMU.
"Clearly, JMU offers quality at a bargain price," says JMU President Linwood H. Rose. "I'm pleased that JMU has again been recognized by U.S. News as the finest master's level, public university in the South."
The category of "best universities-master's" ranks 573 institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate and master's-level programs but few or no doctoral programs. The universities are divided into North, South, Midwest and West regions. The South region includes 131 public and private master's-level schools in 12 states.
Duke-a-licious
JMU ranked No. 18 nationally for "great food" in the Princeton Review's student survey, The Best 351 Colleges, 2004 edition.
JMU's Dining Services
offers a wide variety of campus eating establishments and cuisine
-- from convenience stores to resident-dining
facilities with eat-in or carry out service to coffee and smoothie
bars to a table-service
restaurant. Several meal plans for resident and commuter students
are available. Parents can also order CareGrams of personalized cakes, sub sandwiches,
fruit baskets or pizza, along with balloons, for their JMU
students.
The survey lists the top 20 schools in more than 60 categories. A total of 106,245 students at 351 colleges offered opinions about their own school's academics, campus life and student body, as well as their individual study hours, politics and opinions.
In a summary of "What JMU Students Say About...," students said: "The 'active, open and friendly' students of JMU strike newcomers with an 'overwhelming feeling of niceness. Everyone smiles at you and everyone holds doors. Even the cafeteria ladies seem to brighten your day a little.'"