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National recognition

In addition to rankings, James Madison University has been recognized as a leading institution in many ways:

  • Many well-known speakers and artists come to campus for free public presentations. In 2007, Desmond Tutu was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Global Nonviolence Award at JMU, and, in 2008, Barack Obama honored JMU with a stop on his campaign trail.
  • James Madison University sent 20 undergraduate students to the 22nd National Conferences on Undergraduate Research in April 2008.
  • JMU earned a place on the 2008 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.
  • The former education editor of The New York Times, included JMU in his highly regarded book, The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010, which features America's "best and most interesting colleges and universities."
  • The University was included in The Princeton Review's 2005 book, Colleges with a conscience: 81 great schools with outstanding community involvement, as one of the USA's best universities for fostering social responsibility and public service.

Top ranking and best value public University in USA

James Madison University has been frequently highly ranked for its academics and named as one of the top universities in the USA:
Rank Category detail Awarded by Year
2nd Top public regional* university in south of USA JMU was listed in America's Best Colleges 2010U.S.News & World Report's America’s Best Colleges - the highly regarded annual poll on academic quality 2012
6th Top regional* university in the South
1st Highest graduation rate (82%) within 6 years among regional universities in the south
Named 'A+ option for B students' (recommended for students with average grades)
3rd Best Undergraduate Teaching in its category
97th Best undergraduate business program in USA
Named Best Graduate Business schools in the US U.S. News & World Report's America’s Best Graduate Schools 2011
19th Top Audiology master's program in the US U.S. News & World Report's Best Health Schools 2008
38th Top Speech-language pathology master's program in the US
38th Top Physician Assistant master's program in the US 2011
134th Top Master of Fine Arts program in the US U.S. News & World Report's Best Fine Arts Schools 2008
Top 50 Best Value Public Colleges in the US - recognizes universities that provide high-quality academics at a reasonable price Princeton Review's Best Value Colleges 2012
Named Best Colleges in the United States Princeton Review logoPrinceton Review's Best 376 Colleges - based on student surveys 2012
Named Best 133 Colleges in the Southeastern United States
5th "Best Campus Food"
32nd Best undergraduate Business School in USA (Grade A+ for Facilities and Services; Grade A for Teaching Quality; Grade A for Job Placement) James Madison University ranked as one of the best undergraduate Business SchoolsBloomberg Businessweek magazine 2012
12th Best undergraduate Business School at a public university in USA
16th Best undergraduate Business School in USA based on student feedback
160th America's Best Colleges America's Best colleges logoForbes magazine - a ranking of the top 15% of US universities (650 institutions)  2011
39th Best Colleges in the south of the USA
40th America's Best College Buys
33rd Best values in Public Colleges in the USA – "deliver a quality education at an affordable price" The Kiplinger 100, published in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. 2012
named Top 240 US universities providing "first-rate education at a reasonable price" Barron's Best Buys in College Education 2008
named Top in the USA: competitive colleges that attract the best and the brightest Peterson's '440 Great Colleges for top students' 2010
Top 300 'Best and most interesting public and private schools' in the USA Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011
Top 45 'Best Buy Schools' in America
28th Best master's-level university in the USA Washington Monthly College rankings 2010

* The Regional Universities category includes 570 institutions across the USA that provide a full range of undergraduate and master's programs, but offer few, if any, doctoral programs.

Review of the University

The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2007 positively reviews James Madison University, writing:

  • "In the midst of the stunning Shenandoah Valley lies a purple and gold gem"
  • "JMU is incredibly friendly"
  • "Its social graces tend to alleviate what might otherwise be a stressful academic lifestyle. Additionally, the campus accommodates students' busy schedules exceedingly well."
  • "Professors [...] make themselves extremely accessible."
  • "JMU provides a terrific liberal arts education and continues its history of producing successful alumni today, while fostering an inclusive and high-spirited atmosphere that complements its beautiful area."

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