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Mars Hill University: Founders Hall, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC (32806550468)
Photo: Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional college

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $19,910 a year

Median debt at graduation: $26,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 44%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.45%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,848

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$17,021
$30,001–$48,000$17,020
$48,001–$75,000$20,628
$75,001–$110,000$21,637
Over $110,000$21,972

Full cost of attendance before aid: $50,099 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
1,002
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 50% · Women 50%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
34%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
41%
Total students1,049
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$19,910
Cost of attendance (per year)$50,099
Median federal debt at graduation$26,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
45%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
32%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
28%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
49%
First-year retention69%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$44,781
Admission rate68%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,429 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants46%

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$74,707
Business administration$57,743
Social work$51,053
Teacher education$47,176
Criminal justice$41,384

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computing and information science, Design, English, Fine arts, General studies, Health sciences, History, International relations, Kinesiology and exercise science, Mathematics, Music, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, Political science, Psychology, Public administration, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Special education, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Teaching English as a second language, Theatre, Zoology/Animal Biology.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business22%
Health professions16%
Biology11%
Psychology8%
Criminal justice and security8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingRural
Part-time undergraduates5%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older9%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,258
SportsNCAA Division II · South Atlantic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member11 to 1
Faculty who are full-time62%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$58,818IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 82% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceAsheville Regional Airport (AVL)About 27 miles away · about 45 minutes by car
Nearest major airportCharlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 100 miles away
Town population3,025Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreCharlotteAbout 106 miles away · about 3 hours by car
Typical weather35°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Marshall, NC, about 7 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary3.600.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Mars Hill University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Mars Hill University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $19,910 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Mars Hill University?
Mars Hill University admitted 68% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Mars Hill University’s graduates do?
45% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $44,781; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 198899
  • Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (diverse fields)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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  • Respond as this school

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