If JMU was ranked nationally (currently, it is only ranked regionally by US News), what rank do you think it would be? What schools do you think it would come out ahead of and what schools do you think are roughly comparable?
USNWR ranking of National Universities with the same acceptance rate as JMU (73%) range from Seton Hall at 119 to a cluster of schools like Texas State lumped together as “231-301 in National Universities.”
Based on standardized testing profiles, JMU might place in the vicinity of national universities such as the University of South Florida (124 in U.S. News), Hofstra (140), Seattle Pacific (169) and the Florida Institute of Technology (177).
https://amp.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9
Based on all national colleges and universities Forbes ranks JMU 143
If you are talking about where it would fall in the US News National University rankings, it would be much higher (better) than the mid-100s. I think it would be somewhere around 80-100, somewhere right around Delaware, which is 89 on USNews and 150 on Forbes.
The WSJ/Times Higher Education US ranking has James Madison at 328. UD in that ranking is placed at #145. FWIW in that ranking, schools of note in the high 200’s (290+) and low 300’s (340-) include: Bard, CUNY (NYC), Auburn, Univ Kansas, Univ South Carolina, Seton Hall, San Diego State, Wayne State. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/united-states/2019#!/page/13/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
In the interest of a accuracy, I should note that the University of South Florida (Tampa) does not apply to my reply above. I’d confused it with the University of South Florida–St. Petersburg.