JMU is ranked as the 20th Happiest School in the country by Newsweek & the Daily Beast in a poll just released. The poll looked at six categories, weighted equally using a measure of how close or distant each school is to average: dining, housing, nightlife, number of sunny days per year, student-teacher ratio, and the average indebtedness at graduation. With these factors you can clearly see how the place, Harrisonburg, the school is located has a major impact on the ranking. In a town that is vibrant, community based, and beautiful shouldn’t people be happy? Downtown has seen major gains in the last few years with the addition of the Friendly City Food Co-op, Jack Brown’s, and Beyond. Family life is enhanced by the new and improved Children’s Museum, the established You Made It, and incredible downtown library. The Farmer’s Markets in the area are rich with good local healthy food options. The community is supportive of each other and want success for their neighbors. We have great locally roasted coffee. There are active leaders engaged in the promoting healthy community. Our non-profits are focused on a bright future. Of course JMU being in the middle of all this life is a happy place to go to school, learn about community, and begin a career! Congratulations JMU on your ranking!
