More selective than 62% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $50,099. College Scorecard.
Higher than 34% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 33% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 39% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Mars Hill University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,393 applicants, Mars Hill University admitted 1,085 and 318 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Mars Hill University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Mars Hill University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Mars Hill University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,021 | $71,829 | 6.4 years |
| $30–48k | $17,020 | $71,824 | 6.4 years |
| $48–75k | $20,628 | $87,050 | 7.7 years |
| $75–110k | $21,637 | $91,308 | 8.1 years |
| $110k+ | $21,972 | $92,722 | 8.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (35% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($44,781) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,265 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Mars Hill University majors, earnings & careers
Mars Hill University offers 34 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Business & Finance · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Mars Hill University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $74,707 | $24,636 |
| Business Administration | $57,743 | $27,506 |
| Social Work | $51,053 | $29,133 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $47,176 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $41,384 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$57,743
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$41,384
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,176
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$74,707
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Public Administration—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$51,053
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Asheville
Overall prices in the Asheville, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,866. Housing costs 7% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 45 inches of rain a year, 26 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Madison County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Madison County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Mars Hill University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in North Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill University | 68% | $19,910 | 45% | $44,781 | This school |
| Greensboro College | 70% | $17,882 | 46% | $46,566 | |
| Montreat College | 69% | $27,061 | 50% | $45,151 | |
| Warren Wilson College | 71% | $21,249 | 42% | $36,260 | |
| Belmont Abbey College | 75% | $24,639 | 47% | $47,937 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Mars Hill University would cost you $2,028 more per year than Greensboro College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Mars Hill University.
- Mars Hill University gives aided families $12,906 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Mars Hill University | Greensboro College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $50,099 | $35,165 | +$14,934 |
| Average grants | −$30,189 | −$17,283 | −$12,906 |
| You pay | $19,910 | $17,882 | +$2,028 |
“+” means Mars Hill University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Mars Hill University
What is the Mars Hill University acceptance rate?
Mars Hill University accepts 68% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,085 of 1,393 applicants were admitted.
How much does Mars Hill University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $50,099 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,910 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,021 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,972.
How much do Mars Hill University graduates earn?
Former Mars Hill University students earn a median $44,781 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Mars Hill University graduation rate?
45% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
How long does a Mars Hill University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Mars Hill University costs about $87,050 after grants ($20,628 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,781 ten years after starting, $11,265 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 7.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Mars Hill University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Mars Hill University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Mars Hill University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mars-hill-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).