Jonathan Alger, President | James Madison University
Jonathan Alger, President | James Madison University
All two institutions in the county provided detailed enrollment data at the time.
At least 31,871 people applied to Harrisonburg city colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 23,558 students enrolled in the universities, including 21,238 in undergraduate and 2,320 in graduate programs. Only 3.4% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (74.4%) and Hispanic (8.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, James Madison University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 22,224 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mennonite University | 1,144 | 1,133 | 1,334 |
| James Madison University | 30,727 | 23,967 | 22,224 |
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