Civic engagement and community service are integral to campus culture at James Madison University, stemming back to the 1986 launch of an initiative promoting service-learning.
At 82%, James Madison's six-year graduation rate stands out among large public universities, and Money finds that it’s slightly higher than predicted based on the student body. The college has strong offerings in visual and performing arts, as well as in the social sciences. Health-related programs, business and communications are among the most popular majors.
Although James Madison has about 21,000 undergraduates, 89% of classes have fewer than 50 students in them, and the student-faculty ratio is 17:1.
The university is situated in the middle of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, offering mountain views and hilly walks around the campus — plus access to the city of Harrisonburg. In their downtime, students can join 450 wide-ranging organizations like the aerospace club, caving club and the antisocial social club.
