# JMU SAT Scores: Range, ACT & Test-Optional Policy | 1600.now Source: https://1600.now/college/james-madison-university Last updated: 2026-10-05 --- JMU reports a 1210–1370 SAT middle-50% range and a 26–31 ACT range for admitted first-year students in 2025–26. SAT and ACT scores are optional. These figures describe reported scores in that admission cycle, not a minimum needed to apply. Written by [Luke Finigan](https://1600.now/about) 7 min read Updated Oct 5, 2026 Harrisonburg, VA · Public · Doctoral / R2 research university SAT middle 50%: JMU’s 2025–26 admitted first-year score range 1210–1370 Federal Scorecard SAT middle 50% (older enrolled scores): 1170–1340 · Range midpoint ~1260 Acceptance rate: 72% Enrollment: 20,888 ACT middle 50%: 24–29 The figures above are the stored federal Scorecard snapshot, imported April 25, 2026. Its fields can cover different reporting years. Current university profiles below can describe a different cohort or applicant group. ### Current admissions guidance for James Madison University **Latest official update:** JMU’s admissions facts page, checked October 5, 2026, labels its score figures as admitted first-year students for 2025–26 and says 19% of applicants submitted scores. It lists 31,634 acceptances from 43,836 applications, about 72%. The federal snapshot below uses a different reporting period. #### SAT/ACT policy JMU does not require SAT or ACT scores. If you submit them, official results must arrive electronically from the testing agency by your application deadline. A score is one application item; it does not replace the high school transcript. #### Application deadlines Early Action is due November 1 and Regular Decision January 15. JMU requires the application and transcript by the deadline; optional scores and Honors College responses are also due then if included. #### How to use your SAT score - For a 1300 SAT, compare against the current 1210–1370 admitted range, rather than treating the older 1170–1340 federal range as the current benchmark. - If your score is below 1210, decide whether it adds useful academic evidence before choosing to submit. The test-optional route remains available; falling below the range does not itself decide admission. - Before booking another test, check whether its official result can arrive by November 1 or January 15. Do not let optional testing delay the transcript or required application. Admissions details checked October 5, 2026. Verify policies before applying: [JMU 2025–26 admissions facts](https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/fastfacts.shtml) · [JMU first-year requirements and deadlines](https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/first-year/index.shtml). ### What is JMU’s average SAT score? JMU’s current facts page publishes a range, not a single SAT average or median. The center of 1210–1370 is 1290, but that calculation is a range midpoint. It does not establish the mean or the 50th percentile. The 26–31 ACT range is the separate ACT distribution. Read it directly if you took the ACT; do not convert the SAT midpoint into an official JMU ACT average. [JMU admissions facts and score-reporting population](https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/fastfacts.shtml) ### Check coursework before choosing a retake JMU expects a year of mathematics beyond Algebra II in a course for which Algebra II is the prerequisite. Check the actual course name on your senior schedule; Computer Science and Consumer Mathematics do not satisfy that specific requirement. Honors College evaluation is separate from general admission. Include its two short responses in the JMU application if you want Honors consideration; a higher SAT score does not complete that application. [JMU first-year requirements and deadlines](https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/first-year/index.shtml) ### Compare your SAT score JMU’s 2025–26 admitted first-year score range: **1210–1370**. Your SAT score **1290** **Within the reported range** This score falls within JMU’s reported admitted range. Consider it alongside grades and coursework; it does not produce an admission probability. This compares a score with a reported interval. It does not estimate admission chances, account for your section split, or determine scholarship eligibility. ### How James Madison University compares - Its SAT rank in the stored federal dataset is #100 of 197 US colleges with published SAT ranges in this snapshot and #7 of 15 in VA. - Its 72% acceptance rate is more selective than 40% of the 197 colleges in the same ranked pool. - Reported section midpoints skew 10 points toward Reading and Writing (610 Math vs 620 Reading and Writing). - Median earnings 10 years after entry ($69,954) are $6,888 above the $63,066 median across that pool. - Out-of-state students pay $17,354 more per year than in-state students ($31,604 vs $14,250). National SAT rank: #100 of 197 SAT rank in VA: #7 of 15 More selective than: 40% of ranked colleges Earnings vs national median: +$6,888 ### Tuition and outcomes Tuition (in-state): $14,250 Tuition (out-of-state): $31,604 Median earnings 10 years after entry: $69,954 4-year completion rate (150% time): 80% Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Documentation version September 2025; our snapshot imported April 25, 2026. Scorecard fields can come from different reporting years, and this snapshot does not encode one universal data year. SAT totals are rounded to the nearest valid 10 points. Tuition excludes room, board, fees, and books. [Read the methodology](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf). ### Colleges with similar SAT scores Ranked by proximity to James Madison University's reported SAT midpoint. Similar scores do not imply similar programs, cost, or admission odds. | College | Location | SAT middle 50% | Acceptance rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Western Colorado University](https://1600.now/college/western-colorado-university) | Gunnison, CO | 1160–1350 | 100% | | [George Mason University](https://1600.now/college/george-mason-university) | Fairfax, VA | 1160–1360 | 87% | | [John Carroll University](https://1600.now/college/john-carroll-university) | University Heights, OH | 1180–1330 | 81% | | [Bryant University](https://1600.now/college/bryant-university) | Smithfield, RI | 1190–1330 | 65% | | [Duquesne University](https://1600.now/college/duquesne-university) | Pittsburgh, PA | 1180–1340 | 84% | | [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach](https://1600.now/college/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-daytona-beach) | Daytona Beach, FL | 1160–1360 | 65% | ### Questions about James Madison University #### Does JMU take SAT scores? Yes. JMU accepts optional official SAT or ACT results sent electronically by the testing agency before the application deadline. Applicants can also apply without scores. #### What is JMU’s acceptance rate? JMU’s facts page reports 31,634 acceptances from 43,836 first-year applications for 2025–26, about 72%. That is an institution-wide figure for one cycle, not your probability of admission. #### Is 1290 JMU’s median SAT? No published median is established by the 1210–1370 range. 1290 is its arithmetic midpoint, not a measured median or average. #### When are James Madison University’s application deadlines? Early Action is due November 1 and Regular Decision January 15. JMU requires the application and transcript by the deadline; optional scores and Honors College responses are also due then if included. Official site: [www.jmu.edu/index.shtml](https://www.jmu.edu/index.shtml)