James Madison High School-Review

Last Updated on March 27, 2024.

Is James Madison High School worth it? How much does JMHS cost? How long do I need to complete it? Is the James Madison High School Online Diploma better than a GED?

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We often get these questions from students that are looking for an alternative to earning a GED® diploma.

In this review, we try to answer all of these important issues. So before you make any decision, read this review carefully.

James Madison High School is one of America’s leading institutions in online high school education, and through the years, the school has helped thousands of students earn their high school diplomas.

The school is a for-profit distance-learning private high school and a division of Ashworth College. The online high school is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.

James Madison High School (JMHS) offers affordable and flexible online high school education courses to help students earn a secondary education degree online from the comfort of their homes or wherever they want.

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The school is a division of Ashworth College, which was established in 1987. Ashworth College is one of the nation’s leading providers of online education, career training courses, and certificate and degree-granting programs.

JMHS was founded in 1996 in response to the growing need for comprehensive distance learning high school education options for adults who hadn’t completed their high school education.

The school’s online high school programs offer a great alternative for students looking to attain their professional and/or personal goals.

This is a great option, regardless of whether they want to enter or advance in the job market or want to continue their education in college.

Many of James Madison High School’s graduates actually enroll in one of Ashworth College’s degree-granting academic programs to continue their education online.

Advanced Placement (AP®) courses offered by, for example, Keystone online high school will also allow students to enroll in college-level coursework and even render college credits!

Every year, some 2,500 adult learners, from traditional-age students to homeschoolers, graduate from James Madison High School.

So if you’re looking to complete your high school curriculum, this online option could be your best fit if you are self-disciplined enough to study independently.

Various Options

JMHS offers an online “General Diploma” track, a “College Prep Diploma” track, and a “General HS Diploma + Career Pathways Certificate” track.

All courses are in the 9th through 12th grades, and all Math and English courses are aligned to the U.S. Common Core Education Standards.

The school’s comprehensive and both regional and nationally accredited high school diploma courses are developed to get you ahead, as said earlier, regardless of whether you’re looking to continue your education, enter or move ahead in the job market, or perhaps want to achieve other professional or personal goals.

James Madison High School vs Online GED

These days, students can also earn their GED diploma online, so let’s see what the better alternative is. It used to be that often, students that didn’t graduate high school would try to get a GED (General Education Development) diploma to earn a secondary education degree.

But the reality is that we can still see sectors that prefer applicants to hold a high school diploma rather than a GED. So sometimes, students still feel that having earned a traditional high school diploma is better than a GED. The U.S. Military, for instance, values high school graduates higher than GED holders.

Thanks to technological developments and the Internet, earning a high school diploma online has become so much easier! So for students looking to earn a traditional diploma instead of a GED, the options are better than ever before. They can go back to high school over the Internet and earn their high school diplomas from home.

Students that attend a high school program online (and this counts for JMHS’s programs as well) can work toward their diplomas when and where they want and on any device.

JMHS’s High School Diploma Programs

James Madison High School offers two “High School Diploma” programs that both offer an academically challenging, fundamental high school education, the General Diploma, and the College Prep Diploma programs.

Students can also choose from the school’s “General” or “College” High School Diploma track or the “Career Pathways Certificate” education track.

All of these online programs are 23 credits, self-paced, taught by the school’s certified teachers, and guided by well-trained advisors.

Some students choose to earn an Online High School Diploma over a GED at one of America’s leading online high schools, such as JMHS or Acellus Academy, especially if they want to join the military.

How Long Does It Take to Complete James Madison High School?

Well, that all depends on you, the student. All students are different, and some of the courses offered at JMHS are more challenging or complex than others, but keeping your academic achievement is the basis for completing the program in a timely manner.

Each course in the school’s high school program can be completed in six weeks, and students can take more courses at the same time as long as they complete progressive courses in order, for example, English I prior to English II.

So if students take two courses at a time, for example, they can complete the program in 23 times 6 divided by 2 = 69 weeks, which is just a little over one year (52 weeks). If they manage to take three courses simultaneously, they can complete the program in less than a year!

One thing is for sure, though. Successfully taking and completing an online study program requires some decent self-discipline. There’s no one to take you by the hand, though JMHS’s instructors and advisors will help you all the way! Developing excellent study habits, also through online classes, is the key to success for all study programs!

Is James Madison High School Nationally Accredited?

Well, we know that accreditation is important! Being properly accredited means students are ensured of high-quality educational standards and a comprehensive curriculum. This also applies to online high school diploma courses.

James Madison High School holds accreditation from two major accreditation organizations, a recognition that the school delivers excellent education programs that meet the highest possible standards for high school education across the nation.

Practically all American top online high schools hold regional and national accreditation. That’s the best way they can guarantee the quality of their online academic programs.

Regional and National Accreditation

Being regionally and nationally accredited means that the school meets and maintains high educational requirements and standards.

James Madison High School holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS), and the Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI).

JMHS also holds accreditation from DEAC (The Distance Education Accrediting Commission) and from AdvancED, one of America’s leading agencies for online education improvement.

In the U.S., SACS CASI is among six regional accrediting agencies that oversee if school programs are in compliance with all federal regulations. These agencies make sure that schools have and maintain the highest standards in academic quality for both private and public educational institutions.

There’s no guarantee that a high school diploma from JMHS will get you into college, as is the case with every high school diploma, but many universities and colleges are only accepting credits from schools that are regionally accredited.

How Much Does James Madison High School Cost?

James Madison High School offers highly flexible tuition payment options. Students can choose to pay the full tuition upfront (the most affordable option) or opt for monthly payments. Monthly payments can be $50/month.

Keep in mind that transferring previously earned credits may lower tuition costs considerably! Without transferring credit, tuition at JMHS is usually between $1049 and $1599. The tuition fees are comparable to those of other online high school diploma programs, such as Penn Foster High School in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

How Do You Get into James Madison High School?

To enroll in JMHS’s Online High School, students need to be at least 14 years old. Then, they can enroll in the school’s 9th through 12th-grade curriculum.

Applicants younger than 18 years of age are required to submit proof of promotion to their previous school’s 9th grade. They cannot enroll themselves; that must be done by one of the parents or a guardian.

All applicants are required to have reliable Internet access and complete the school’s online enrollment application form or contact one of the school’s Admissions Advisors by calling 1-800-349-6861. A down payment is required, but students can also pay the full tuition to get started.

What Celebrities Went to James Madison High School?

Quite a few well-known or famous Americans went to James Madison High School. These include Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential candidate, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died recently, and Charles Schumer, Senate minority leader. They all are, or were, James Madison High School graduates.

Other JMHS alumni include comedian and actor Chris Rock, composer and singer-songwriter Carole King, former Senator (R-MN) Norm Coleman, television personality Judith Sheindlin (Judge Judy), and television and film actor Martin Landau.

General Online High School Diploma

You can enroll in JMHS’s 23-credit “General High School Diploma” program if you are looking to earn your high school diploma to attain some personal goal, want to advance in your job, attend a career training or advancement program, want to sign up for a program in a community, technical, or junior college, or want to enroll in one of Ashworth College’s online programs.

Students can transfer up to 17 credits from their previous high schools, which could result in huge savings. Keep in mind that James Madison High School additionally offers the “Career Pathways” program (more details are found below).

Curriculum – JMHS’s online high school curriculum is a 23-credit comprehensive program that’s aligned to Common Core State Standards for Math and English.

The curriculum covers Math, Life Skills, English Writing and Reading, Science, and Social Studies. Courses include Health, American History, World History, Vocabulary, English Grammar, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Physics, Personal Finance, Business, American Government, Civics, Economics, Biology,  Earth Science, and Geography.

Students can also choose from the following open electives: Accounting, Business, Chemistry, Fitness, Nutrition, Physics, Pre-Calculus, Public Speaking, Reading & Literature, and Spanish I, II, or III. Students may also benefit from this website’s free GED math lessons, a great help to master all the topics!

Keep in mind, though, that Best GED Classes math lessons do not address all GED topics, but this way, you can start on your GED track, and if you like this online learning approach, just register withOnsego GED Prep to get all set for the real thing fast.

College Prep High School Diploma

JMHS’s online “College Prep High School Diploma” program is targeted toward students looking to enroll in credit-bearing college programs. These students are usually ready to manage more in-depth study courses at advanced levels and want to attend a more rigorous and challenging high school education program.

All programs are self-paced and entirely online, but printed textbooks are also available. College can be pretty hard, but getting optimally prepared is, again, the key to success!

When students opt for the 23-credit College Prep Diploma program, they can also transfer up to 17 eligible credits earned from their previous high schools.

Curriculum – In this course, the curriculum covers the same subject areas as listed above, but some subject areas are taught at a more advanced level. These fields are English I, II, III, and IV. Biology, American & World History, American Government & Civics, and Economics.

Students can choose from the following electives: Accounting, Fitness, Nutrition, Personal Finance, Public Speaking, Reading & Literature, and Vocabulary Studies (Foreign Languages).

General Online High School Diploma + Career Pathways Certificate

James Madison High School’s Online “High School Career Pathways” program is targeted toward students looking to advance their professional skills.

The program offers students the opportunity to gain or advance real job skills while at the same time working toward their high school diplomas.

For this track, there are no extra credit hours required, and students can choose from high-in-demand professional fields while studying online at their own pace.

Graduates from this program will receive both a General High School Diploma and JMHS’s Career Pathways Certificate, a recognition that they successfully completed the school’s highly respected specialized job skills training program.

High-In-Demand Career Fields

Let’s take a look at the school’s options to earn a High School Diploma + a Career Pathways Certificate. Students will receive two credit hours of specialized study that will qualify them for working in their chosen specialty fields.

Generally speaking, we can say that securing a decently-paying job that offers a satisfying career path may be getting harder and harder these days, but in the fields listed here, the demand is high, so there will be plenty of great opportunities.

Child Care – The school’s “General High School Diploma + Child Care” program offers students the opportunity to earn a standard high school diploma together with a certificate that enables them to work with toddlers, infants, and preschoolers, or as a family child care worker.

Medical Billing & Coding – Students that follow JMHS’s “General High School Diploma + Medical Billing & Coding program can earn a standard high school credential in combination with a certificate that qualifies them for a career in the medical field while working with medical terminology and procedures, body systems, ethics, contracts, insurance, HIPAA compliance, and the processes that involve billing insurance providers and coding claims.

Medical Office Assistant – This track offers students the chance to earn simultaneously a high school diploma and a professional certificate that qualifies them to work in the interesting fields of medical terminology, patient records & insurance, basics of clinical procedures, or office reception, scheduling, and communications.

Pharmacy Assistant – JMHS’s “Pharmacy Assistant Career Pathways Certificate” program offers students the opportunity to simultaneously work toward their high school credentials and certification in the world of Pharmacy. They will specialize in general medical and specialized pharmaceutical terminology, pharmacy operations, pharmacology, legal standards & regulations, trade names, labeling, generics, aseptic technique, and more.

Veterinary Assistant – The school’s “Veterinary Assistant + High School Diploma” program enables students to simultaneously earn a Veterinary Assistant Certificate and a standard high school diploma. They will specialize in general veterinary healthcare, office administration & communications, ethical & legal issues, client relationships, terminology, animal behavior, pharmacology, and more.

Plumbing – JMHS’s “Plumbing Certificate + High School Diploma” track offers students the option to earn their high school diplomas while at the same time working toward their plumbing certificates. Students will get 2 credit hours of study covering basic procedures and tools used in the plumbing profession.

Sterile Processing – The school’s “General High School Diploma + Sterile Processing Certificate” program enables students to earn their high school diplomas while simultaneously working on getting certified in the world of Sterile Processing. They will learn about medical terminology, workplace safety, aseptic techniques, office communications, HIPAA, and essential techniques to safeguard sterile processing.

Carpentry – Through JMHS’s “General High School Diploma + Carpentry” program, students can earn their high school diploma in combination with a Certificate in Carpentry.

Electrical – The school’s “General High School Diploma + Electrical” program enables students to get hold of a high school diploma in combination with an Electrical Career Pathways Certificate. Students will learn about tools, materials, and applications for installing electrical installations in residential and commercial settings.

Event Planning – JMHS’s “General High School Diploma + Event Planning Certificate” program helps students acquire a high school diploma in combination with becoming certified as a professional event planner. Students will learn all about budgeting, vendors & venues, styles, marketing & business planning, and more, in relation to organizing corporate, social, or family events.

James Madison Online High School
6625 The Corners Pkwy, Ste 500, Norcross, GA 30092
Phone: (800) 349.6861