JMU ranked in top 30 best public colleges in the nation; Top 10 in the south
MONEY Magazine ranks return on college investment and recognizes JMU as nationally competitive
JMU News
SUMMARY: A recent ranking by MONEY Magazine, published by Time Inc., helps families answer an important question - which colleges and universities are a great investment based on educational quality, affordability and high-earning alumni.
James Madison University ranked number 28 Best Public College in the nation, and number 8 Best Public College in the South, out of more than 700 colleges that met the size, financial and graduation rate requirements to be included in MONEY’s 2017-2018 Best Colleges ranking.
This relatively-new ranking is unique as it was the first to combine pricing estimates with reliable indicators of alumni financial success to measure an institution’s ability to provide real value for tuition dollars. To do this, MONEY evaluates an institution’s performance based on important measures such as graduation rates, student loan repayment and default rates, and post-graduation earnings, after adjusting for the types of students it admits.
This ranking, when combined with a recent study conducted by global research firm Gallup, offers a more holistic view of JMU alumni outcomes. In addition to being financially successful, Gallup found that JMU alumni are significantly better off than alumni from other institutions across several dimensions of well-being, including a feeling of purpose, a sense of community, social support and physical health. JMU’s alumni success is the result of the quality of the student experience at Madison, which is built around faculty interaction, engaged learning, and civic and community engagement.
