James Madison University is a comprehensive university that is part of the statewide system of public higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Established March 14, 1908, JMU offers programs on the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, with its primary emphasis on the undergraduate student. Located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, JMU is the only university in America named for James Madison, the Father of the Constitution and fourth president of the United States. The JMU community puts Madison’s ideal of an enlightened citizenry to work in scholarship, research, outreach and service.
Professors and students collaborate across disciplines and engage with society beyond campus boundaries to address big issues that affect people’s lives. In fall 2008, JMU had an on-campus enrollment of 17,964. For the 15th consecutive year James Madison University is ranked as the top public, master’s-level university in the South in the annual poll on academic quality conducted by U.S. News & World Report for its guidebook, “2009 America’s Best Colleges.”