BEST COLLEGE EVER! I am right in the middle of the collage and absolutely amazing all the stores and restaurants are so close and affordable for all the students and plus they can work at any of the businesses and so many activities and etc for all the students and make sure they stay fit healthy and my neighbor's daughter came to this college and had the most amazing unbelievable experience and so proud of all the staff and students and keep up the good work and they all deserve awards and especially this school! They are all very responsible and caring kind and committed to students and teaching and health safety and always very devoted to keeping updated on things Weather related and or traffic etc and the staff always are positive happy hard working and so sweet and very wonderful. Keep up the fabulous work to all the students and teachers and KICK ASS SCHOOL EVER!! You all are blessings and angels and miracles and so proud of you all congratulations on everything you accomplished so far this year! From Lauren read more

We've been in the college hunt since our daughter started her junior year this year. Have visited quite a few Virginia schools, small ones and big ones. This school tour/orientation BLEW our socks off! Easily went to the #1 spot for her and us. From the attendant at the parking garage to their awesome grounds, everything was fantastic. The inbrief was very well orchestrated. You could tell a lot of time and effort went into making sure we understood what the school stands for and how proud each of them are of being DUKE! The campus is breathtaking enriched in history. Our ambassador Matt Rowe (tour guide) was top notch! He's right with 22,000 students this big school, definitely has a small school vibe. Great job JMU! read more

Really, what's not to recommend? JMU has a beautiful campus, fantastic academic programs, and the best students around. Go Dukes!

Not to be confused with Ashley Madison University which is full of married people looking to hook up between classes. And during classes. And after classes. And possibly even before classes. A girl of my dreams who I will refer to only as J used to go to this college. Her dorm room was nice but her house was better. She actually installed a stripper pole in her bedroom. In the house which her rich parents owned. This was in the days before people were pole dancing for workouts. She invented it, maybe. She used to do it just to drive the boys and probably the girls completely crazy. She'd invite people over just to strip dance for them. Those were some fun times. So my main experience of JMU, other than being the main rival of my own College George Mason was to sit down in her tiny little room and watch her strip dance for hours. She had the moves of a ballerina and she wasn't too bad at showing me around the college either. I went back to JMU just a few weeks ago when I was driving down to Charlottesville. Things haven't changed too much except for the obvious corporate takeover which is happening everywhere. One thing I do like is, the campus now has some great options for food and desserts especially J-Petal which is a crepe and bubble tea shop from Brooklyn that only has one location outside New York City which happens to be right here in Harrisonburg right next to campus. They also have a Kung Fu tea in the same Plaza, which only has 479 locations outside NYC. Lol. What more could you ask for. read more

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When we were looking at colleges for the kids we thought both might consider JMU. Before bringing them onto campus I had only heard about the school from some friends. I actually fell in love with the place, but my kids did not. The campus is beautiful with what seemed like a student body that loved the place, but it just wasn't the right fit for the kids...and that ok. Still a great school with a great reputation and beautiful campus. read more

I bleed purple! I love JMU. Attended from 2002-2005 and graduated a semester early with my B.A. in English Literature. They say the best measure of a place is what people say about it later, if that is true I am a dedicated spokesperson for JMU because I tell everyone who asks that it is the best school not only in Virginia, but in the United States. Sure there is Ivy League, but I lived, I loved and I regret nothing. Haha. Really though, JMU has changed quite a bit in the 8 years since I left with the addition of the tunnel under the road leading to the new performing arts building across from the quad and the huge new sports complex and stadium. What remains the same and probably always will is how much JMU really is a way of life. Nearly every student there is there because something made them love JMU and know that there was no other place for them. I remember touring this school as a senior in 2001 with my high school guidance counselor. She said she loved JMU and wished she had been able to go there. Frankly, it wasn't on my list of schools, I was looking at UVA and Hofstra mostly but I went on the campus visit because my counselor insisted I see it. As soon as I set foot on campus and had a tour by two enthusiastic students I knew it was home. I went right home and filled out an early admission application (I think there was less than a month left for the deadline at the time) and when I was accepted we sent the check and it was never even a consideration for me to attend anywhere else even when I did later get accepted to Hofstra and UVA. JMU is a beautiful campus with the old, classic side at the quad with the stone buildings and Wilson and Keezell Hall, as well as the lake, but the new ISAT side (where I lived for three years in Chesapeake - woo woo) is also very well done. The University Recreation Center (UREC) is one of the best I've seen with a huge swimming pool, plenty of exercise equipment, and a large track on the third floor overlooking the volleyball and basketball courts. I also climbed the rock wall a few times as well which spans all three floors and can be seen when you first enter. There are some nice raquetball courts too. While at JMU I enjoyed attending the early screening of movies at Grafton-Stovall and remember standing in line with my friends and roommates at midnight on my 21st birthday to see House of Wax one week before it was released for free. The food is fabulous with more than a dozen dining options (and Chick-Fil-A!) and they have a large Greek presence on campus. President Rose was President of JMU during my time there and I felt that he really loved JMU and cared about the school. My teachers were engaging and genuinely seemed to love JMU and their jobs. I made friendships that will last a lifetime and I have memories that are some of the fondest in my mind almost 10 years later. They really were the best years of my life. On top of my praise for JMU, my parents loved it and were always happy to come visit and have me treat them to dinner at D-hall with my dining dollars. They knew I was happy and I rarely wanted to come home for holidays... After attending ODU for my M.A. (due to proximity not choice) I appreciate the college experience I had at JMU. Students were engaged, filled with pride for their school, everyone bled purple, there were tons of sports, activities and groups, and I always felt happy and loved and safe. I felt that leadership cared and I enjoyed the beautiful mountains and aesthetic of the school. There is no where I'd rather have attended school and I am proud that JMU is my alma mater. It's difficult to find anyone who doesn't feel that way who attended JMU so I'm just one of many. Goooo dukes! (No I wasn't paid to write this I promise - it might sound cheesy but if you went to a school like ODU where students get mugged and robbed and shot every day walking home from class in the dark, you'd have a whole new appreciation for safe and happy college students roaming campus at night in their college bubble blissfully unaware of what evil is as I was.) read more

Learning more as grandson has ups & downs trying to participate in LACROSS, etc. Studies come first, sports next.

Hardly a time when I had a negative experience here. The professors are willing to help you if you go to their office hours or schedule an appointment. The campus itself is quite nice. Although there has been some construction, it didn't really bother anyone hopefully. I didn't have a car so I didn't have to deal with the parking nonsense that drivers talk about. I was a science major so I wasn't on the main campus much except for carrier. The dining here is fantastic and I give it a thumbs up. I like how everyone is so polite. Holding doors for each others and being helpful if you get lost. Even though I only spent two years here as a transfer student, I really enjoy the Harrisonburg atmosphere. Ever since High school, I heard negative things about JMU as being a party school, but as much as the students know how to have fun, they do their homework and excel in the classes. UREC is so nice! So many things to do. There is so many places to go eat around campus and so many places to discover. It may seem like a small town, but there is a lot to be discovered and appreciated. read more

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First experience at JMU. Very surprised on how green the grass is. Met with the JMU Police staff. They were very friendly and even gave us directions. Explored the campus on summer break and all the buildings were well maintained and it shows that the staff here really cares about this campus. read more

James Madison University - The road - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

My mom went to college here at James Madison University because it's purple she likes purple very much read more

James Madison University - This is my mom College picture - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Currently in the nation's top 50 for business schools. The campus is beautiful, the people are hot (ranked in playboy's top 10), UREC is the best gym you'll ever have at your fingertips in your life, house parties are free, frat parties are free, "clubs" are scarce but the ones that are around are always a good time despite their small size... and the sports teams are working their way up in the ranks. :-) A few notes: 1. Make friends with a cab driver and get his cell # - comes in handy when you only have to wait 15 min for a cab as opposed to 30 and 45 min on a weekend. - Musa is awesome and so is his brother Ali 2. FIJI Islander kicks Sigma Nu's islander's ass 3. Parties at Melrose = early and very drunk, only attempt to go to another party after Melrose if you're able to hold your alcohol 4. Football parties are great, but you'll be fighting for beer unless you know someone on the team to hook you up, and be careful of the dance floor if they're still in the house where the floor shakes 5. "Stalk" people for parking spaces - and/or offer to drive them to their car - especially around Showker 6. The parking "nazis" can, and will give you a ticket EVERY time. 7. Watch out where you park at friend's apartment complexes... you WILL be towed, even if you're only gone for 5 minutes. 8. When you can, take the bus that runs to the apt complexes - it runs late. 9. Learn how to play beer pong - this is the game of choice 10. The Arboretum is beautiful. 11. Summertime = Quad and half naked people with books, frisbees, and dogs 12. The Village is a fun place to live Freshman year although HOT in August w/o AC JMU DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKES. Madison, James Madison... We are the dukes of JMU... Madison, James Madison... the fighting dukes of JMU. Fight for glory, honors won... brighten the lights of Madison GO GO GO Madison, James Madison... show your colors proud and true... WE ARE THE DUKES OF JMU!!!!!! read more

James Madison University - Wilson - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Awesome campus. Pro Law Enforcement and very clean. Thanks for being so accommodating!

their scheduling sucks you will not get into any of the classes you need and what is the point of going to college if you cant get into the classes you need to take???? be better jmu we are all sick of it read more

Jenni6wies lives in c seection dingleding so this stop is a must see¿ she even has strokable Rocks' though you night get in a fight over which ones are more strokable hehe hee 2! When you go to the d festival choose Mexican boy cheese please make sure to get the jungle jyuce!! read more

Went for nursing school here for 4.5 years (changed my major during that time). Great school with a great nursing program I can't speak enough for. Upon graduation and when entering the work force I felt so much better prepared my career compared to my peers who went to community colleges, or other programs like UVA or Radford. Although I'm currently suffering through paying off my student loans, the price compared to other VA schools is affordable. I'm considering going back for my Masters here next year due to price and experience. The whole JMU community is so friendly and inviting. The students and staff are what make JMU so special. Loved the campus from the food, to scenery, the quad, and the new technology. Harrisonburg as a town has greately grown and is becoming quite the college town. Highly recommend it. *For those who say it is a party school. Clearly you've never been to college because JMU is no different from any other place I've visited/partied. If anything the parties are open because JMU is friendly and doesn't have a huge Greek Life like UVA where you have to know someone to be invited somewhere. read more

We had a great weekend visiting JMU! The people, including our Student Ambassador Guide, Zach from Canada in the attention grabbing yellow pants were all kinds of friendly. I came to introduce my son (a rising senior) to the culture and get a peek for myself but left with my daughter (a rising sophmore) totally impressed, ready to enroll and wearing a JMU shirt. The town of Harrisonburg was perfectly situated for someone with a creative streak, a high social drive but a love of small towns (unexpectedly). She was pulled in by the diversity of the campus as far as what they offered in extracurricular activities and majors but also loved the hipster vibe--that's what I think anyway. Afterward we had a great lunch at Clementine's where we engaged with a sophomore transfer student from Northern VA and her mother. They gave us great additional insight and some tips and it really solidified my daughter's interest. So in three years, I'll have a JMU Freshmen apparently but I've got to get this Junior situated now! read more

This is just a rating of the Admissions web site and is limited to someone pre-visiting JMU online -- so read on only if you are a first-time visitor, or the good folks in charge of Admissions or the Campus web site. After an hour of de-coding the web site, I finally figured out that Sonner Hall Admissions office is off Bluestone Drive, near the Newman Lake. The online Campus Map doesn't have an entry for "Admissions Office" You have to look for "Sonner Hall" which does not have "Admissions" by its name in the Legend. (When you search the map -- you'll see a reference to Sonner Hall Admissions on the map itself, but not the Legend -- I know it's picky but it sure wasted my afternoon until I broke the code.) If you are driving an SUV (some of those are 6ft, 6inches, 7 feet, etc.), you will if you are like me spend a long time trying to find the answer to which parking garage for visitors accommodates taller vehicles, such as SUVs and Vans. I finally found a defunct web site for an event that says the Warsaw Avenue Parking Deck has capability for vehicles 8 feet, 2 inches. There are two other parking decks --- Grace Street and Cantrell Avenue. But I cannot find their maximum clearance height on line (Update: We visited JMU -- it's 6ft, 6in for Grace Street Parking Deck). JMU Web site folks: Please post the maximum clearance prominently -- that saves everyone time and will prevent the Get Lost Factor. (Also from the Update -- the campus is getting bigger with all the growth -- JMU could use some more campus maps installed on campus for visitors.) When you search for the Admissions Office, you get the mystifying address: "MSC 0101 481 Bluestone Drive." For some reason, that address doesn't refer to Sonner Hall, and to add to bafflement for the first - time visitor, "MSC" does not appear in the campus map. We only hear great things about JMU. But it can be hard for web designers (who probably live in Harrisonburg and are probably alums) to understand the "get lost" factor of a first-time campus visitor. Update: The Admissions Office people could not have been nicer. Get yourself a color map there, when driving on campus for the first time. Then if Mon-Fri, go to the Parking Services, next to the stadium. That's a bit of a riddle -- there's no Parking for Parking Services evident -- apparently there are meters inside the Parking Deck at the stadium. We loved our JMU visit. This is a beautiful school, with amazing scenery in its setting in the mountains. The faculty is friendly and warm -- they care about the students. The students are impressive and very friendly and helpful. Parents (and future students): there's a full Starbucks inside the Library -- Carrier Library. Thank you -- we made good use of it on our trip to JMU. read more

James Madison University - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

BEST PLACE TO BE! Its an amazing school with a beautiful campus and the weekends are ALWAYS fun. -Great food -Great professors -Wonderful campus life -Plenty of organizations to join -Friendly workers -Friendly students -AWESOME parties -Great late night places open for delivery (Jimmy Johns, China King, Chanellos, etc) -Easy to meet lots of new people -Plenty of places to go to get school work done I would not want to be anywhere else, and I would HIGHLY recommend visiting and attending this institution. J-M-U wish you were a duke dog! JMU Alum from day one :) Dukes for life read more

I was a visitor of this fine campus! The stone work on all the buildings is fabulous! The new art building is worth a trip! read more

I came here for a writing center conference and had a great experience. I can't speak for the academics, but the campus is beautiful and everyone was so helpful. They have a new Student Success Center, which is modern and filled with technology (including courtesy charging stations). Plenty of room to sit down and do some work in between sessions. read more

The foundation to become a Plastic Surgeon i learned at JMU. Great education, Great place to grow up and a great place to be an alumni. i bleed purple and gold. read more

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JMU... THE university of Virginia. pros: 1. highly rated programs (from our B-school to nursing to education) 2. brand spankin new stadium (phase 1 is complete, looks awesome). Also, tailgaiting is a blast. 3. Harrisonburg is a small, beautiful college town 4. the people are (for the most part) some of the nicest and friendliest people you will meet.. (Harrisonburg's nickname is "the friendly city" after all) 5. Awesome party scene.. Unlike other schools, no one ever collects money for beer.. literally not once in the 4 years I attended.. 6. rated #2 in the COUNTRY for food.. not too shabby.. 7. Snowboarding / Skiing is only 30 minutes away at Massanutten 8. There are too many pro's to list!!! cons: 1. not very diverse 2. well, its not harvard.. read more

My son is a 2013 graduate of this institution. I paid the tuition. I dedicated my life to my son and he was my pride & joy. We always had a close relationship until he went to JMU. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and knows the difference between a debit & credit but not much more. He has been brainwashed by social Marxists. When I attempted to discuss some political issues with him, he blew up, called me a name and drove off into the night -- to "safe space" no doubt. Our relationship and everything I've worked for in my entire life has been ruined by JMU. If you care about your children, point them toward a good community college. They will learn more and it's less expensive. read more

No. We tried to have an ok time there, but people were constantly staring and being rude to us. We're black by the way. From people wishing that we didn't ride the same bus as them, to being watched by the staff, this is a racist place. Makes us feel like we went back into the 1900s with these people's attitudes. The bad smell just makes everything worse. The people are already acting stinky-then you walk outside and smell that dog food/poop smell! Not hating, just stating our truth. Highly don't recommend read more

James Madison University is an amazing college to get your college experience! Although the food isn't so great. It tasted bland and dry. The campus is very beautiful and clean. The experience of visiting was very appealing due to it being a "game day." The students were very enthusiastic and fun to be around. I would definitely attend this college! read more

While attending JMU from 2000-2004 met so many amazing, special people and developed lifelong friendships. Class of 2004.

Visited a friend here in 2005 who ended up transferring, but enjoyed my stay there. Nice campus with the perks of a private school and a convenient now-omnipresent "drunk bus". Know a few others who did undegrad and grad school here, so it rubs some people the right way for sure, read more

I was at this school yesterday for a football game from the visiting team. I was part of the band. The fans were absolutely mean and nasty to us the whole time. We had open water bottles thrown at us (in 24 degree weather) we had streamers and trash thrown at us. We needed to be escorted by police anywhere just for our protection from the student section of JMU. They yelled obscenities at us and we weren't even doing anything. They were not very welcoming to anyone from our school. I did not enjoy my time on this campus at all because of the lack of hospitality. A lot of us that traveled to JMU yesterday did not enjoy our time because of how mean they were to us just for wearing different colors. I would not ever want to come back to this school for any reason ever. Worst experience at a football game ever. There was just no excuse for that behavior. One positive I can give them; the JMU band was kind to us and gave us water bottles during the game (without throwing them at us). Only a hand full of fans were nice enough not to scream at us in passing. read more

Worst school I have dealt with for so many reasons. First is the constant misinformation and delay in information, then the run around and bureaucratic crap. Then have to deal with people sitting in their offices dragging their feet for over 3 months and it to become a critical situation to do what they should have done in the first place. The parking is a nightmare and they are quick to ticket if you have the wrong pass, wrong space, whatever. If you transfer in from a community college, you are required to take 60 credits at JMU in order to graduate, even if your next degree only requires 36 credits- its a money racket. If you have a GI bill or financial aid, wish you the best of luck because chances are you'll still be stuck with half of the bill at the end of the semester due to JMU's conflicting policies over what you must enroll in, regardless if its covered by the GI or FAFSA guidelines. read more