James Madison University

Pros: Solid academics, clean/safe environment.
Cons: Not top level challenge for top tier students.

I graduated from JMU over 20 years ago; then and now, I hold the school in highest regards for an excellent social and academic experience. I would like to make it clear that I consider JMU to be a top school on a national scale. However, without...

Pros: beautiful campus, great BAND
Cons: none!

When I was a junior in High School, taking those SATs, visiting colleges, and preparing for college, I wanted to go to JMU and there was no stopping me. My parent met at JMU, what was then Madison College in 1969, and I guess it was sort of keeping up...

Pros: a sense of campus community
Cons: lack of ethnic diversity

As a 1998 graduate of JMU and a current graduate student in higher education administration (at a prestigious Research I institution), I can honestly say that JMU is like no other school. As a student of higher education, I am consistently tasked with...

Pros: Great students, academics, sports, social aspects, etc...
Cons: A few small complaints

James Madison University is a school on the rise. It has grown consistently in the past few years in many ways - student enrollment, campus size, sports programs, and academic reputation.

As an out-of-state student, JMU (a state school) is...

Pros: great reputation, continuously improving
Cons: parking

U.S. News ranked JMU No. 1 for academic quality for the 6th straight year among Southern regional universities. Also JMU ranked 2nd in the South in academic reputation and 2nd in both retention and graduation rates.

It's been 10 years since I...

Pros: rated very well, cheap in-state and out-of-state, excellent off-campus housing, many varieties for dining
Cons: not in everyone's backyard

As a transfer student to the University of Connecticut, you may think I didn't like James Madison University. That is definitely not the case! My senior year in high school, I had a severe case of feeling the need to get away from my parents, my high...

Pros: friendly atmosphere, academics, scenery, UREC
Cons: parking

James Madison University was definitely the best choice of universities for me. There is a myriad of activities on campus everyday of the year for students to engage in. Big name bands and people such as Tonic, The Roots, and "Hurricane"...

Pros: Right balance between academics and having fun.
Cons: Not a damn thing.

You learn how to face/approach/solve the problems you encounter in life. JMU does just this, and if along the way you feel the need to branch out and develop yourself physically then you could not have chosen a finer university. I'll be the first one...

Pros: low tuition, only 2 1/2 hrs from NoVa, new technology programs, "nice" students, a breakdancing club
Cons: mediocre students lower quality of classroom education, no life to be had beyond campus, very homogenous student body

As a student at JMU (now transferred), I was consistently disappointed in both the quality of my peers and the rigor of my education. Even in my honors classes, students did not engage in discussion, respond to professor's queries, or show that they had...

Pros: beautiful, great community
Cons: parking

I have wanted to go to James Madison for a very long time. It has some great academic programs and I believe it prepares its students well for the future. There is a general education proram that takes about 45 hours which I think is good because it...

Pros: the Quad (it's BEAUTIFUL!)
Cons: using quarters for washing machines

Okay, well I gotta tell you that I totally love JMU. It has everything I wanted in a school. Everything's great about it. Our food is even good and we have a lot of choices for variety. We can easily walk over to UREC (our gym) which is huge and has...

Pros: Pretty campus; a variety of dining options
Cons: Social life revolves around alcohol; immature students; nearly impossible to graduate in four years.

Few people seem to want to mar the utopic image of JMU and its gorgeous quad, but JMU has a host of serious cons. JMU may be cheap, but you're paying for what you get.

JMU is overcrowded and gets more so each year. The school wants more...

Pros: quality education in a beautiful place
Cons: haggling over class schedules

As a commuter student who has lived in the James Madison vicinity all my life, I have always been able to view JMU from the inside out. I spent my first two years at Madison in the mid-1990's and then took a little break. I am planning on finishing...

Pros: Strength of academic programs, location, friendliness of students and campus facilities
Cons: none

My son is a freshman at James Madison University, majoring in Business Finance. As a high school counselor, I have the opportunity to research many colleges and universities during the course of each year, but as a parent, my research took on a much more...

Pros: beautiful surroundings
Cons: lots of hills

Four years ago I was senior in high school and going through the very scary process of making college visits. I visited all the schools in Virginia, and being a Virginia resident I was thrilled that I had so many great in-state choices. After seeing...