JMU to welcome largest freshman class

Over 4,700 new James Madison University Dukes are poised to begin their journey to change the world.

The Class of 2024—our largest freshman class—has students who hail from 1,111 different high schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia, 41 states and 11 countries. This impressive group was selected from a pool of a record 24,682 applicants.

Madison continues to be recognized as a comprehensive university where Undeclared remains our most popular major, followed by Nursing, Biology, Health Sciences, Psychology, Marketing and Management. 

After the February CHOICES admitted-student open house took place in person, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted April events to be moved to virtual experiences. Academic and support programs all across the university rallied together to deliver an online experience aimed at helping admitted students and their families feel the JMU vibe even from a distance. That list includes Residence Life, Study Abroad, Career and Academic Planning, Financial Aid and representatives from each of the university’s eight colleges. 

Summer Springboard Orientation is also taking place virtually this summer.

When on-campus classes resume in August, the Class of 2024 will start to carve its place in the foundation of learning and doing that makes JMU a great place to call home.