2026-2027 Academic Catalog

Undergraduate Admissions

Office of Admissions
Phone: (540) 568-5681
Email: admissions@jmu.edu
Fax: (540) 568-3332
Location: Holland Yates Hall, MSC 0101

The enrollment for the university is authorized by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The number of students admitted each year is limited by the resources available to the university.

Visiting the University

We encourage prospective students to attend a group information session and a walking tour of campus. To check our visitation schedule and make a reservation, visit our website.

First-Year Student Admission

JMU's admission process is competitive. The admissions committee works to select the strongest candidates from a high-quality applicant pool. Our primary focus is on the applicant's academic history, which includes program of study, rigor of program and academic achievements. Optional items that contribute to the applicant's profile include standardized test scores, a letter of recommendation, extracurricular activities and a personal statement. Each applicant is rated in the following four areas, listed in order of importance:

Academic Program

Students who challenge themselves with the upper-level courses offered in their high school (i.e., Advanced Placement (AP) classes, International Baccalaureate (IB), dual enrollment (DE), in addition to Honors-level courses) increase their competitiveness. Although schools provide different opportunities, applicants should pursue the most demanding college preparatory programs available. Strong students come from different types of schools, therefore we evaluate applicants within the context of their high schools.

Competitive applicants should minimally have the following:

  • Four years of math with at least one full year beyond algebra II (i.e. pre-calculus, trigonometry, discrete math, statistics, math analysis, etc.). Consumer math, personal finance, and algebra functions and data analysis will not be evaluated as a full year beyond algebra II;
  • Three years of laboratory science (preferably biology, chemistry and physics or an AP, IB or DE science). General science or earth science does not count as a lab science);
  • Three or more years of the same foreign language or two years of two different foreign languages;
  • Four years of English; and
  • Four years of social studies.

Academic Achievement

To evaluate achievement in high school, we evaluate grades in the core subject areas: mathematics, English, foreign language, social studies and lab sciences. A competitive candidate will have mostly A's and B's in core courses. We look at performance throughout the entire high school career.

Standardized Tests

Submitting SAT I or ACT scores is optional and not required to complete the application.

Extracurricular Activities

We are looking for quality rather than quantity and consider the variety and depth of involvement in clubs, organizations and athletics. Community service and part-time jobs fall into the extracurricular category, also.

Application Deadlines

Early Action Admission

Early Action is non-binding early notification admission to qualified first-year student applicants. Applications must be submitted by November 1 to be considered for Early Action admission. Successful candidates will be notified in mid-January and must submit a tuition deposit by May 1 to enroll at the university. Most students who are not selected for early notification are considered under the university's regular admission process.

Students who apply Early Action do not have an advantage over students who apply Regular Decision.

Regular Decision Admission

Regular Decision is the final application deadline for first-year admission consideration. Applications must be submitted by January 15 to be considered for regular decision admission. Regular Decision is non-binding. All applicants will receive notification of their admission status by the first of April. Admitted students must submit a tuition deposit by May 1 to enroll at the university.

Application Procedure for First-Year Student Admission

To apply for First-Year admission to the university, applicants must: 

  • Submit the online application for undergraduate admission along with the electronic application fee. This fee is not refundable or transferable and will not be credited to the student's account.
  • Request that an official transcript from the high school be sent through a secure provider such as Naviance/Parchment, e-Scrip Safe, etc. or through the U.S. Postal mail:
    • James Madison University Office of Admissions
      MSC 0101
      James Madison University
      100 E. Grace Street
      Harrisonburg, VA 22807
  • (Optional) Applicants may request SAT (code: 5392) or ACT (code: 005392) scores be sent to James Madison University directly from the College Board or American College Testing, respectively.

Information furnished on applications and all other university documents and records must be accurate and complete without evasion or misrepresentation. Submitting inaccurate or incomplete documents is cause for rejection or dismissal from the university.

Transfer Student Admission

To transfer to JMU, a student should:

  • Have completed or be in the process of completing at least 24 credits at the college or university level, after graduating from high school or earning a GED, at the time of application.
  • Successfully complete college coursework in the following areas: English, math, lab science and social science to be competitive. The more college-level coursework a student completes, the less emphasis the admission committee places on the high school transcript.
  • Be in good standing and eligible to continue or graduate from their previous institution(s). It is the student's responsibility to provide the JMU Office of Admissions with official transcripts of work completed from all colleges attended. Concealment of previous attendance at a college or university is cause for cancellation of admission and registration. (Students with holds on their academic records will not be considered for admission until holds are released).

The university recommends students have a "B" cumulative grade point average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) to be competitive for admission.

Application Procedure for Transfer Admission

To apply for transfer admission to the university, applicants must:

  • Submit the online application for undergraduate admission along with the electronic application fee. This fee is not refundable or transferable and will not be credited to the student's account.
  • Request official transcripts be sent from all colleges attended prior to the application deadline (including dual enrollment).
  • Submit an official high school transcript or a copy of a GED certificate in addition to college transcripts, regardless of the number of college credits completed or the number of years out of high school.
  • Indicate a major.
  • (Optional) Complete a 650-word personal statement for review by the Admissions Committee.

All materials are due by October 15 for spring admission, February 1 for summer admission and March 1 for fall admission.

Evaluation of Transfer Credits

Credit will be awarded for those courses equivalent to courses offered at JMU in which the student has earned a grade of "C" or better.

After the student has been approved for admission, the Office of the Registrar will evaluate the transcript(s) of each transfer student to show the credits accepted by the university. The academic unit head of the program in which the student is majoring will determine the credits required for graduation.

With the exception of some community college degrees in General Studies, JMU General Education requirements will be waived for those students who have completed either an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Arts and Sciences degree at a Virginia community college. For the complete listing of degrees associated with a Virginia Community College that waive all General Education requirements, go to Transfer Advising. Students who complete one of these associate degrees and are offered admission will receive junior-level status; however, due to varying major and degree requirements, junior-level status does not guarantee graduation in two years. For more details, consult the Office of Admissions or the JMU Virginia Community College Transfer Guide.

International Admission

The Office of Admissions is responsible for the admission and enrollment of undergraduate international students. It also evaluates "A" Level examinations for academic credit.

Credit will be awarded for those courses equivalent to courses offered at JMU in which the student has earned a grade of "C" or better.

All non-U.S. citizens and nonpermanent residents of the U.S. must complete the online application for undergraduate admission.

In addition to regular first-year student and transfer admission requirements, international students must present evidence of English proficiency and documentation of sufficient financial resources.

The university welcomes international applications and is authorized by federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. Requests for information concerning the admission of undergraduate international students should be directed to:

Office of International Admissions, MSC 0101
James Madison University 100 E. Grace Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Phone: (540) 568-7865

Credit for Military Service

JMU encourages veterans to apply for admission as full-time or part-time students.

Information regarding VA Educational Benefits is available from the veterans' coordinator, Student Success Center, 5th floor.

Veterans and service members may submit their Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript for credit review. This credit will be determined based on recommendations in A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Consult the Office of the Registrar.

If a veteran or service member does not have a JST or CCAF, they may submit their DD-214 for review. Less than one year of active duty service provides three credits of health or kinesiology elective credit. One year or greater provides six credits of health and kinesiology elective credit. Students may not receive credit from both the JST/CCAF and DD-214.

Credit is allowed for courses taken at the Defense Language Institute. The amount of credit varies with the type of courses successfully completed. JMU must receive an official transcript. Credit allowed is based on their recommendation in A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. For those languages not offered at JMU, a maximum of 12 hours is accepted.