Living on campus

In your first year at James Madison University, you will live in a residence hall, sharing a room with at least 1 roommate. The residence hall becomes home where you can build friendships, study with others, seek advice and have fun.

On-campus accommodation

All residence halls on the University campus are designed and maintained to provide a caring environment that encourages academic success, respect, personal growth and community responsibility.

Quick facts about living on-campus

• JMU has 27 residence halls on campus.
• 22 halls are reserved for freshman (first year) students. All are double-occupancy rooms.
• Utilities and services (electricity, water, garbage, housekeeping) are covered by the rent.
• Full meal plan included in residence hall price.

Residences for International Study Center (ISC) students

If you start your ISC program in the fall semester and qualify to live on campus, you’ll most likely be housed in Paul Jennings Hall. Click here for a virtual tour.

Accommodation facilities

All halls offer the following facilities:

• TV lounges
• Study lounges
• Laundry facilities
• Kitchen
• Wireless internet access in a communal area
• Storage areas

Many halls have vending facilities, air-conditioning and recreation rooms. Some also have basketball courts and elevators.

Your JMU Residence Hall Room

All rooms in the halls of residence have:

• Single beds with innerspring mattresses, which can stack as bunk beds or elevated into a loft bed
• Individual desks with chairs
• Wardrobe or closet for each student
• Chest of drawers for each student

Resident Advisers

Your Resident Adviser (RA) is a student worker who lives in your Hall. RAs create positive communities and coordinate fun and educational events. Your friendly RA will be a helpful resource and guide when you are adjusting to your new surroundings.

On-Campus Dining

There are more than 25 dining options across JMU's campus, so you'll find a variety of choices to fit your taste. Our on-campus dining options include buffet-style, a la carte, kiosks, food trucks and more. We're proud to say that JMU's been recognized as part of the Top 10 for "Best Campus Food for the past two decades by The Princeton Review!

Madison International: U.S. and International Student Cohort

There is a unique opportunity for international students entering JMU’s ISC in the fall semester to join an elite cohort of JMU student-residents. Madison International (MI) is a prestigious program for first-year international and U.S. students to live and attend classes together. MI student-residents participate in many activities to enhance their learning experience, including academic coursework, field trips, and interaction with U.S. and international students. Students live in Hoffman Hall, one of the most desirable dorm buildings on campus and enroll in UNST 150 Global Learning and Living: Madison International.

The process to join Madison International is:

• Confirmed acceptance to the ISC for fall semester
• Placement at the two-semester ISC level based on your TOEFL or IELTS scores
• Submission of a completed application for Madison International by the appropriate deadline. The application will be available once you have confirmed your attendance at the JMU ISC.
• Acceptance into MI by the Madison International Steering Committee

Off-campus accommodation

Being housed on campus is a great benefit to our students in becoming successful in our program and fully integrating onto campus. Residence halls provide an ideal college experience and allow the students to take advantage of the many benefits of easy access to classes, professors, facilities, food, resources, and more. Whenever possible, every student will be placed on-campus; however if on-campus accommodation is unavailable, the ISC office will make the necessary arrangement with some of the several off-campus options to find you an apartment off-campus.

North 38

North 38 Apartments are a great off-campus living option. The luxurious apartments are just 4km from campus on a bus route that you can use for free. Shops, restaurants, parks and cinemas are all close by, and the ISC can help you arrange your accommodation here.

• 3 and 4 bedroom apartments
• Furnished, private bedroom and bathroom
• Private balcony or terrace
• Shared living room with a large flat-screen TV
• Fully-equipped kitchen with washer/dryer
• On-site fitness center
• 24-hour student clubhouse
• Computer lounge with study space and free printing
• Game room with pool table
• Swimming pool and hot tub
• Water volleyball and basketball
• Sand volleyball court

Rent is approximately $495 per month, per person.

Alternative options

Students can also choose from one of the many other accommodation options available in Harrisonburg. Most off-campus housing options offer individual leases and can be arranged online before you arrive.

Join us today

Our student enrollment advisors are available to answer your questions and help you with your application. We can’t wait to meet you.