BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, North Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·mhu.edu
6-yr Graduation
45%
+1.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,110
peer median 948
Avg net price
$19,910
-$2.7k vs Baccalaureate
Use this data
Ask Clema
AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsAlumni

About

Mars Hill University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States. The university offers 35 undergraduate majors and includes a school of nursing and graduate schools in education, criminal justice, and management. From 1859 to 2013, the school was called Mars Hill College; in August 2013, it officially changed its name to Mars Hill University.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
1,642
1,642 candidates competed
Admitted
1,115
67.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
347
31.1% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
45%+1.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
34%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
45%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

8.6pp gap
Pell recipients
41%63 of 152
Non-Pell (all)
50%55 of 111
Subsidized loan, no Pell
53%28 of 53
No Federal Aid
47%27 of 58

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.6-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 39 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 34 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
39
Passing
5
12.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

39programs
  • Passing5 · 12.8%
  • No Data34 · 87.2%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
5
No data
34

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

5
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+28.5%
$41,384 vs $32,203
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+46.5%
$47,176 vs $32,203
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+58.5%
$51,053 vs $32,203
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+79.3%
$57,743 vs $32,203
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+132.0%
$74,707 vs $32,203

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

4
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
62%
$25,844 debt · $41,384 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
50%
$25,609 debt · $51,053 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
45%
$26,000 debt · $57,743 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
33%
$24,376 debt · $74,707 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1926Next review Dec 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 8

  1. Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Dec 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Apr 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Mar 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2018Removal of Monitoring Status
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,021
$30–48k$17,020
$48–75k$20,628
$75–110k$21,637
$110k+$21,972

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$19,910
-$2,672vs Baccalaureate median $22,583
Federal loans
62.1%
In-state tuition
$37,736
Out-of-state
$37,736

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 527 students received $3.0M in Pell grants, alongside $4.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
527
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.0M
$2,998,321 total
Direct Loans
$4.8M
1,086 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.9M
475 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.0M
543 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$257K
16 loan awards
Parent PLUS$681K
52 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 488 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (2.8%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.8%
+0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
488
Defaulted
14
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
14.4%
2017
11.1%
2018
10.9%
2019
2.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Mars Hill

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs48
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

265 total completions
01Business
7327.5%
02Security/Protective
3714.0%
03Health Professions
3613.6%
04Biological Sciences
2710.2%
05Parks/Recreation
249.1%
06Education
207.5%
07Psychology
186.8%
08Visual/Performing Arts
114.2%
09Public Admin
114.2%
10Multi/Interdisciplinary
83.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
1,110
12-mo unduplicated
1,128
Undergraduate
1,077
Graduate
51

Gender split

Men
50%563
Women
50%565

Race / ethnicity composition

White
63.1%
Black
15.7%
Hispanic
9.5%
Non-resident
5.7%
Unknown
3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.3%
Asian
1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.4%
Two or more
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
606
411 M · 195 W
Women athletes
32.2%
Athletic aid
$4.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.2M
$1.5M
Recruiting expense
$43K
$8K
Head-coach salaries
$40K
$37K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
92 M · 69 W
$514K
Football
151 M · —
$1.9M
Soccer
70 M · 46 W
$1.0M
Baseball
62 M · —
$730K
Lacrosse
34 M · 26 W
$666K
Basketball
19 M · 16 W
$891K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.81
4 offenses · 1,049 students

3-year trend

2.802 yrs ago5.811 yr ago3.81Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
13
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
6
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
4

By location

4total
  • On campus4

Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs07
Liquor026

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
74

Mars Hill vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Mars Hill selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMars Hill University
45%—1,110$19,910Baccalaureate
Barton College
46%94.2%1,235$23,626Baccalaureate
Bluefield University
18%59.3%959$25,573Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Brevard College
49%42.2%875$23,509Baccalaureate
Ferrum College
32%89.0%763$20,082Baccalaureate
Kentucky Christian University
37%60.9%550$24,038Baccalaureate
Lees-McRae College
42%76.8%910$28,340Baccalaureate
Livingstone College
28%59.2%936$13,479Baccalaureate
Newberry College
45%89.8%1,536$21,656Baccalaureate
Tennessee Wesleyan University
48%68.8%1,198$14,836Baccalaureate
Peer group median44%68.8%948$22,583

Institutions like Mars Hill

Explore the federal data for institutions in Mars Hill's comparison group.

IPEDS

Mars Hill Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Team
1 member
  • Kris Pack
    Director of Institutional Reporting & Research

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Mars Hill (29)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Sheila Kay Adams
    Arts
  • Gordon P. Allen
    Politics
  • John Baskin (non-fiction writer)
    Literature
  • John S. Battle
    Politics
  • Archie Campbell (comedian)
    Entertainment
  • Troy Cole
  • Jerry C. Davis
    Academia
  • Mary Evelyn Fredenburg
  • Tony Jasick
    Sports
  • Woodrow W. Jones
    Politics
  • Max Lennon
    Academia
  • Dan Locklair
    Music
Showing 1–12 of 29
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about Mars Hill University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Mars Hill.

What is the graduation rate at Mars Hill University?

Mars Hill University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 45% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Mars Hill University?

Mars Hill University reports a total enrollment of 1,110 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Mars Hill University?

The average net price at Mars Hill University is $19,910 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Mars Hill University?

Mars Hill University's yield rate is 31.1%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Mars Hill University located?

Mars Hill University is located in Mars Hill, North Carolina 28754.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Mars Hill University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card