Performance Measures: Most Significant Trends
The trends represented below are ones that we believe represent major changes in the university since the early 1990s. These trends have occurred in many areas such as costs, faculty, new students, and finances. A full Research Notes by the Office of Institutional Research should also be reviewed.
| Category | Measure Name (Click on link to see data from previous years) | Measure Definition | Base Year | Data | Current Year | Data |
| Costs | Tuition, fees, room and board: in-state undergraduate | Annual tuition and required fees for in-state undergraduate students. | 1999-00 | Tuition: $3,926 Room & Board: $5,392 Total: $9,318 | 2011-12 | Tuition & Fees: $8,448 Room & Board: $8,340 Total: $16,788 |
| Costs | Tuition, fees, room and board: out-of-state undergraduate | Annual tuition and required fees for out-of-state undergraduate students. | 1999-00 | Tuition: $9,532 Room & Board: $5,392 Total: $14,924 | 2011-12 | Tuition & Fees: $21,738 Room & Board: $8,340 Total: $30,078 |
| Current Students | Number of foreign students (nonresident aliens) enrolled | Number of residents of other countries who enrolled during the fall semester on and off-campus. Immigrants (resident aliens) not included. | 1999-00 | 272 | 2011-12 | 302 |
| Current Students | Out-of-state students | Number and percentage of on-campus students whose domicile is outside of the Commonwealth. | 1999-00 | 4,325 29.2% | 2011-12 | 5,210 27.4% |
| Current Students | Percentage of students who are ethnic minorities (excludes nonresident aliens) multi-race format | African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native student and Multi-race proportion of total JMU students. "Unreported" race not included in denominator. Nonresident aliens not included in numerator. | 2010-11 | 13.6% - All 0.2% - Amer Indian 4.5% - Asian 4.2% - Black 3.3% - Hispanic 0.4% - Hawaiian 1.0% - Multi-race | 2011-12 | 14.4% - All 0.2% - Amer Indian 4.8% - Asian 4.0% - Black 3.6% - Hispanic 0.4% - Hawaiian 1.7% - Multi-race |
| Current Students | Fall on-campus headcount | Fall semester headcount of students attending classes on the JMU campus. | 1999-00 | 14,814 | 2011-12 | 18,996 |
| Current Students | Percentage of male undergraduate students | Percentage of all degree seeking undergraduates who are male. On-campus only. | 1999-00 | 42.7% | 2011-12 | 40.6% |
| Current Students | Retention: Freshmen All | Percentage of first-time freshmen starting in the fall of one year who return to JMU in the subsequent fall regardless of academic level. | 1999-00 | 90.4% | 2011-12 | 91.3% |
| Faculty | Student-to-faculty ratio | Number of FTE students divided by the number of FTE faculty in the fall semester. | 1999-00 | 18.3 | 2011-12 | 16.1 |
| Faculty | Percentage of full-time faculty who are tenured | Percentage of full-time instructional faculty who are tenured. | 1999-00 | 55.5% | 2011-12 | 52.1% |
| Faculty | Full-time faculty holding terminal degree in their field | Percentage of full-time faculty who have earned the terminal degree in their discipline. | 1999-00 | 83.3% | 2011-12 | 78.8% |
| Faculty | Percent of total fall credit hours taught by full-time faculty | Percentage of fall credit hours where the primary intructors are full-time instructional faculty. Unknown instructors and MSCI not included. | 1999-00 | 79.8% | 2011-12 | 77.9% |
| Faculty | Percentage of full-time faculty who are female | Percentage of JMU's full-time instructional faculty who are female. | 1999-00 | 37.2% | 2011-12 | 45.8% |
| Faculty | Percentage of full-time instructional faculty who are ethnic minorities or nonresident aliens | Percentage of full-time instructional faculty who are non-white by federal definitions. | 1999-00 | 10.0% | 2011-12 | 11.8% |
| Faculty | Average faculty salary (distance from 60th percentile of peer institutions) | JMU has a national peer group for salary comparisons. The stated objective of the General Assembly is to fund faculty salaries in Virginia at the 60th percentile of its peer institutions. This is a measure of the gap between JMU's average salary and the 60th percentile | 1999-00 | $56,859 (-$1,800) | 2011-12 | $79,667 (-$15,045) |
| Finances | General fund appropriations per in-state FTE student in 1999-00 dollars | Total General Fund divided by the total FTE students from Virginia. | 1999-00 | $5,477 | 2011-12 | $3,348 (in 1999-00 dollars) |
| Finances | Percentage of management standards met | Percentage of the six state management standards met by JMU. | 1999-00 | 100% | 2011-12 | 100% |
| Finances | JMU general fund appropriation as a percentage of total E&G appropriation | Total General Fund appropriation divided by total appropriation (total appropriation includes tuition JMU is allowed to raise). | 1999-00 | 54% | 2011-12 | 28% |
| Finances | Percentage of undergraduate alumni that contributed to JMU in a given year | Percentage of undergraduate alumni of record who contributed to the institution during the specified academic year. | 1999-00 | 18.9% | 2011-12 | 7.3% |
| Finances | Institutional support as a percentage of estimated E&G expenses | Percentage of funds expensed in non-academic administrative functions (using GASB 34/35). | 2001-02 | 9.7% | 2011-12 | 12.4% |
| Finances | Instructional and academic support as a percent of estimated E&G expenses | Sum of IPEDS Finance Instruction and Academic Support, divided by estimate of total E&G minus Total Scholarships & Fellowships, Pubic Service and Research (using GASB 34/35). | 2001-02 | 71.2% | 2011-12 | 80.4% Note change from previous years. Operations & Maintenance of Plant and Depreciation now spread across other expenses increasing this statistic. |
| Financial Aid | Percentage of full-time undergraduates who had need and were awarded financial aid. | Percentage of full-time undergraduates who had need and were awarded financial aid. | 2001-02 | 29% | 2011-12 | 37.7% |
| Financial Aid | Average debt of graduates upon graduation | Average per-borrower cumulative undergraduate indebtedness of the prior year graduating class who borrowed. | 2001-02 | $12,474 | 2011-12 | $22,128 |
| Giving | Endowment-fair market value | Dollar market value of endowment. True FMV plus quasi equal total FMV. Increase due to news gifts and annual return on investment. | 1999-00 | $23,284,620 | 2011-12 | $57,737,585 |
| New Students | Percentage accepted freshmen who enrolled (yield rate) | Percentage of accepted students who enrolled as first-time freshmen (yield rate). | 1999-00 | 35.8% | 2011-12 | 29.4% |
| New Students | Mean SAT score for new first-time freshmen by total, residence (in-state, out-of-state) and gender (male, female) | Combined SAT scores (verbal and math) of all first-time freshmen. Writing not included. | 1999-00 | 1,170 - Total 1,157 - In-State 1,200 - Out-State 1,191 - Male 1,156 - Female | 2011-12 | 1,147 - Total 1,151 - In-State 1,137 - Out-State 1,179 - Male 1,127 - Female |
| New Students | First-time applications for undergraduate admission | Number of completed applications for undergraduate admissions from first-time freshmen. | 1999-00 | 12,980 | 2011-12 | 22,349 |
| New Students | New freshmen, fall | Total new first-time freshmen enrolled in the fall semester. | 1999-00 | 3,039 | 2011-12 | 4,029 |
| New Students | Number and percentage of in-state students enrolled during fall term. | Number and percent of in-state students enrolled during fall semester on-campus. | 1999-00 | 10,489 70.8% | 2011-12 | 13,786 72.6% |
| New Students | SAT 25th-75th percentile | SAT ranges for enrolled students at the 25th and 75th percentiles for Verbal/Critical Reading and Math combined. Writing not included. | 1999-00 | 1,100 - 1,240 | 2011-12 | 1,060 - 1,220 |
| New Students | Fall headcount, transfers | Number of new fall transfers. | 1999-00 | 615 | 2011-12 | 733 |
| Satisfaction | Student satisfaction with JMU in general | Percentage of students satisfied/very satisfied with JMU in general. | 1999-00 | 92% | 2011-12 | 96% |
| Satisfaction | Percentage of alumni who would recommend JMU. | Percentage of alumni who would recommend JMU (prior to 08-09 satisfied/very satisfied with JMU). | 1999-00 | 97% | 2011-12 | 99% |
| Satisfaction | Student satisfaction with the university's concern for them as an individual | Percentage of students that express that they are "Very Satisfied" or "Satisfied" with the university's concern for them. | 1999-00 | 72% | 2011-12 | 90% |
| Satisfaction | Student satisfaction with classroom/laboratory facilities | Percentage of students that express that they are "Very Satisfied" or "Satisfied" with classroom and laboratory facilities. | 1999-00 | 80% | 2011-12 | 93% |
| Student Outcomes | Degrees awarded undergraduate | Total number of undergraduate degrees awarded during the academic year. | 1999-00 | 2,565 | 2011-12 | 3,877 |
| Student Outcomes | Degrees awarded graduate | The total number of graduate degrees awarded during the academic year. | 1999-00 | 341 | 2011-12 | 731 |
| Student Outcomes | Graduation rate (six years) | Percentage of first-time full-time freshmen who graduated within six years from JMU. | 1999-00 | 78.6% | 2011-12 | 81.3% |
| Student Outcomes | Average time (in years) to degree for undergraduate degrees | Average number of years to earn bachelor's degrees for students who begin and end their baccalaureate program at JMU. Full-Time entering freshmen only included. | 1999-00 | 4.19 | 2011-12 | 4.14 |