James Madison University

JMU is on a 721-acre campus in the small town setting of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

JMU Student Activities

There are many activities and organizations for JMU students to join – including band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Interested in Greek life? JMU has fraternities and sororities.

JMU Housing

This table offers information on housing at JMU.

JMU offers on-campus housing. Students are required to live on campus through freshman year. First year students are guaranteed on-campus housing.

Most JMU students live off campus. In 2022, 31% of undergrads at JMU lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 69% of students lived off-campus or commuted to JMU. First year students are not allowed to park a car on campus.

JMU offers coed housing.

JMU Athletics

At JMU there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at JMU:

Is JMU Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

James Madison University is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The JMU campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night. The school also has student security patrols.

JMU offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Campus housing is secure and dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards.

Additionally, JMU has lighted pathways.

Plan a Visit to JMU

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit JMU, take Interstate 81 to Harrisonburg, VA. If you need to fly, book your flight to Shenandoah Valley Regional airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in Virginia you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore JMU's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About JMU

Choose one of the options below to find out more about about JMU:

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

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