As JMU evolves as a higher education institution, stakeholders are often interested in comparing us to other institutions. Because peer groups are often very specific in nature, developed for a particular purpose and based on specific characteristics, JMU encourages stakeholders to develop purpose-specific peer groups. Therefore, JMU does not advocate for the use of a single group of peer institutions, but in a process aimed at developing a set of peers based on a particular reason. The following are common peer groups that are often used by JMU stakeholders.

National Peer Group

The following peer group serves a set of national institutions that most similarly resemble JMU on a set of carefully chosen descriptive characteristics. They represent institutions with Carnegie Classifications of: R1, R2, and Master’s: Large Program. Any broader interpretation of this peer group other than as a set of descriptively similar institutions to JMU based on the combination of specific variables used in the analysis is not advised. For more information about the process used to develop JMU's National Peer Group, please consult the Methodology.

• Appalachian State University
• Miami University-Oxford
• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
• Illinois State University
• Grand Valley State University
• Western Washington University
• University of Oregon
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• University of Rhode Island
• Towson University

Virginia Public Peer Group

This list of institutions consists of all public colleges and universities in Virginia. Additional comparison research can be found on the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV)’s research website.

• Christopher Newport University
• George Mason University
• Longwood University
• Norfolk State University
• Old Dominion University
• Radford University
• University of Mary Washington
• University of Virginia
• University of Virginia’s College at Wise
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Virginia Military Institute
• Virginia State University
• Virginia Tech
• William & Mary