VA
James Madison University
0.97 incidents / 1,000 students
Harrisonburg, VA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
James Madison University
Across 2022–2024, James Madison University reported 48 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Motor Vehicle Theft). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: Old Dominion University.
- 0.97
- Incidents / 1k students
- #608
- Rank of 2,072
- #38
- VA rank
- 22,740
- Enrolled students
0.97 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
James Madison University reports 0.97 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 90% below Syracuse University. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Syracuse University (4.60/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); CUNY Hunter College (0.80/1k); Indiana University-Indianapolis (36.92/1k); Chaffey College (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Old Dominion University (3.92/1k); University of Virginia-Main Campus (13.75/1k); Virginia Commonwealth University (6.99/1k); ECPI University (0.08/1k); Regent University (0.19/1k); William & Mary (3.16/1k); Radford University (3.58/1k); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1.16/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 0.97
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #608
- safer than ranked campuses its size
- 71%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 15
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 232423 · James Madison University 0.97/1k score rate · #608/2,072
RATE-QUIET · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-ZERO
- RATE-QUIET 0.97/1k
- RANK-MID #608/2,072
- ST-MID #38 in state
- ABOVE-PEER CUNY Hunter College · +0.17
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 15%
- CAT-LEAD Motor Vehicle Th…
- ENR-LARGE 22,740
- FIRE-ZERO 0 fires filed
Nearest enrollment peer: CUNY Hunter College (-0.17/1k)
James Madison University sheet RATE-QUIET · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-ZERO · peer CUNY Hunter College. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-QUIET · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-ZERO. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is CUNY Hunter College (-0.17/1k). National rank #608 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
James Madison University reports 0.97 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 90% below Syracuse University. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Syracuse University (4.60/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); CUNY Hunter College (0.80/1k); Indiana University-Indianapolis (36.92/1k); Chaffey College (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Old Dominion University (3.92/1k); University of Virginia-Main Campus (13.75/1k); Virginia Commonwealth University (6.99/1k); ECPI University (0.08/1k); Regent University (0.19/1k); William & Mary (3.16/1k); Radford University (3.58/1k); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1.16/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around James Madison University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest James on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Chaffey College · lowest peer 0.62
Chaffey College — lowest peer
0.62 per 1,000 students
- CUNY Hunter College · near 0.8
CUNY Hunter College — near
0.8 per 1,000 students
- James Madison University · this campus 0.97
James Madison University — this campus
0.97 per 1,000 students
- San Francisco State University · near 3.41
San Francisco State University — near
3.41 per 1,000 students
- Indiana University-Indianapolis · highest peer
Indiana University-Indianapolis — highest peer
36.92 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around James Madison University's 0.97/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
James Madison University decreased from 20 to 15 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 VA 4-year peers in this comparison, James Madison University is larger than 86% and safer-reporting than 81% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- James Madison University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington University of Science and Technology | 1,096 | 0.00 | 0 | 92 |
| Eastern Mennonite University | 1,154 | 5.20 | 3 | 36 |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School | 1,216 | 4.93 | 6 | 39 |
| Emory & Henry University | 1,311 | 5.34 | 8 | 33 |
| Bridgewater College | 1,448 | 12.43 | 11 | 6 |
| Averett University | 1,476 | 7.45 | 14 | 17 |
| Virginia Military Institute | 1,527 | 7.20 | 17 | 22 |
| Virginia Union University | 1,646 | 3.65 | 19 | 53 |
| Randolph-Macon College | 1,687 | 9.48 | 22 | 14 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | 1,717 | 0.00 | 25 | 92 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 1,772 | 3.95 | 28 | 47 |
| James Madison University (this campus) | 22,740 | 0.97 | 86 | 81 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 22,740 enrolled students, James Madison University is the 171st largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,414 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: Old Dominion University (3.92/1k); University of Virginia-Main Campus (13.75/1k); Virginia Commonwealth University (6.99/1k); ECPI University (0.08/1k); Regent University (0.19/1k); William & Mary (3.16/1k); Radford University (3.58/1k); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1.16/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe (Syracuse University is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at James Madison University fell from 20 to 15 (-25%). The increase shows up in Fondling (1 to 3), Aggravated Assault (0 to 1) and Rape (3 to 4). Falling over the same period: Motor Vehicle Theft (10 to 5), Arson (4 to 1) and Burglary (2 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at James Madison University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 7 Clery Act categories here: Motor Vehicle Theft, Rape, Arson, Fondling, Burglary, Aggravated Assault and Robbery.
The remaining 4 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyJames Madison University: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 15% (13 → 15 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| Rape | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Arson | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Fondling | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Burglary | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Aggravated Assault | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
72 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 1 | 62 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 7 | 374 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
James Madison University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
NY
Syracuse University
4.60 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
San Francisco State University
3.41 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where James Madison University sits on price and outcomes
At $23,322, James Madison University's reported average net price is cheaper than 69% among 107 Virginia colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $19,096.
- $23,322
- average net price
- $19,096
- Virginia median
- 2.9×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $18,703
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $11,444, while those above $110,000 record $30,147 - roughly 2.6 times as much. A published average of $23,322 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Six-year median earnings of $57,438 run about 2.5 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $14,250
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $31,604
- Avg Net Price
- $23,322
- Median Debt
- $20,093
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 17%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 72%
- SAT Average
- 1256
- SAT Math Range
- 570-660
- ACT Average
- 27
- ACT Range
- 24-29
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 80%
- Retention Rate
- 92%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $57,438
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $69,954
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 87%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 406 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · 22,589 enrolled
Safety Score 4.60
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · 22,563 enrolled
Safety Score 3.41
CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY · 22,538 enrolled
Safety Score 0.80
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · 22,534 enrolled
Safety Score 36.92
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 22,460 enrolled
Safety Score 0.62
Closest by National Rank
James Madison University (national rank #608) sits near Lurleen B Wallace Community College (#609) and University of Massachusetts-Boston (#607) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Lurleen B Wallace Community College
Andalusia, AL
National Rank #609
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA
National Rank #607
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH
National Rank #606
Francis Marion University
Florence, SC
National Rank #610
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR
National Rank #611
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for James Madison University, both outside VA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · 22,589 enrolled
Safety score 4.60
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · 22,563 enrolled
Safety score 3.41
CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY · 22,538 enrolled
Safety score 0.80
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · 22,534 enrolled
Safety score 36.92
University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, NV · 23,024 enrolled
Safety score 4.34
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · 22,450 enrolled
Safety score 2.14
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY · 23,065 enrolled
Safety score 7.59
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · 23,069 enrolled
Safety score 5.51
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA · 15,575 enrolled
Safety score 0.96
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH · 9,350 enrolled
Safety score 0.96
Francis Marion University
Florence, SC · 4,112 enrolled
Safety score 0.97
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR · 8,216 enrolled
Safety score 0.97
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fayette, MO · 1,041 enrolled
Safety score 0.96
Hope International University
Fullerton, CA · 1,025 enrolled
Safety score 0.98
Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee, WA · 3,067 enrolled
Safety score 0.98
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Goodwell, OK · 1,021 enrolled
Safety score 0.98
Frequently Asked Questions
Is James Madison University safe?
James Madison University has a safety score of 0.97 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #608 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Syracuse University (4.60/1k). Same-state same-level set: Old Dominion University (3.92/1k); University of Virginia-Main Campus (13.75/1k); Virginia Commonwealth University (6.99/1k); ECPI University (0.08/1k); Regent University (0.19/1k); William & Mary (3.16/1k); Radford University (3.58/1k); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1.16/1k).
What crimes are reported at James Madison University?
For calendar year 2024, James Madison University reported Motor Vehicle Theft (5), Rape (4), Fondling (3), Aggravated Assault (1) and Arson (1), and 1 further category in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does James Madison University compare to similar schools?
James Madison University reports 90% fewer 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Syracuse University. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Syracuse University (4.60/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); CUNY Hunter College (0.80/1k); Indiana University-Indianapolis (36.92/1k); Chaffey College (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set: Old Dominion University (3.92/1k); University of Virginia-Main Campus (13.75/1k); Virginia Commonwealth University (6.99/1k); ECPI University (0.08/1k); Regent University (0.19/1k); William & Mary (3.16/1k); Radford University (3.58/1k); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1.16/1k).
Does James Madison University have fire safety data?
Yes. James Madison University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. No fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.