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Mars Hill University

Mars Hill University is based in the town of Mars Hill, NC — a private campus in a small-town setting. International students are a visible presence at Mars Hill University — 5.7% of its 1,044 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$17,372

family income
under $30k

$17,337

$30–48k

$20,703

$48–75k

$22,308

$75–110k

$24,291

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$19,9102023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Mars Hill University rose from $15,303 (2008) to $19,910 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$15,303
2009	$16,808
2010	$19,597
2011	$17,554
2012	$16,626
2013	$17,523
2014	$16,789
2015	$17,373
2016	$17,078
2017	$16,053
2018	$18,735
2019	$19,374
2020	$19,513
2021	$17,796
2022	$20,313
2023	$19,910

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$50,0992024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Mars Hill University rose from $30,294 (2009) to $50,099 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$30,294
2010	$31,754
2011	$33,495
2012	$35,316
2013	$36,669
2014	$38,086
2015	$39,413
2016	$39,206
2017	$41,405
2018	$43,531
2019	$44,301
2020	$45,406
2021	$46,391
2022	$46,975
2023	$48,794
2024	$50,099

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$12,800
2001	$13,800
2002	$14,500
2003	$15,458
2004	$15,922
2005	$16,854
2006	$17,950
2007	$18,812
2008	$19,894
2013	$25,636
2014	$27,590
2015	$29,382
2016	$30,534
2017	$31,804
2018	$32,968
2019	$34,118
2020	$35,052
2021	$35,655
2022	$36,557
2023	$37,270

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $37,736 before grants and other attendance costs. At Mars Hill University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 1,044 — Mars Hill University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

44.9% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Mars Hill University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

44.9%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Mars Hill University has wandered from Fall 1993 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 46.2% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 44.9%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	41.3%
1993 cohort	45.2%
1994 cohort	40.9%
1995 cohort	40.9%
1996 cohort	40.9%
1997 cohort	39.2%
1998 cohort	39.6%
1999 cohort	42.5%
2000 cohort	36%
2001 cohort	37.9%
2002 cohort	38.2%
2003 cohort	39.6%
2004 cohort	35.1%
2005 cohort	38.5%
2006 cohort	46.2%
2007 cohort	38.2%
2008 cohort	36.9%
2009 cohort	33.6%
2010 cohort	33.8%
2011 cohort	31.4%
2012 cohort	39%
2013 cohort	30.2%
2014 cohort	34.8%
2015 cohort	33.5%
2016 cohort	41%
2017 cohort	41.9%
2018 cohort	44.9%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$14,625	$2,906
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$14,280	$2,750
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$13,862	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$14,517	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$14,625	$3,144
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$15,474	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$16,748	$3,525
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$3,442
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$3,969
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$4,843
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$18,874	$5,577
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$21,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$24,000	$5,736
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$25,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$26,003	$8,692
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$27,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$27,000	$9,036
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$26,000	$8,663
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$8,250

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$35,680

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$41,050

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$44,781

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Mars Hill University admitted 1,115 of 1,642 applicants in Fall 2024. The 67.9% rate describes that application pool.

67.9%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $37,270 tuition · 2023–24 1,044 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Mars Hill University received 1,642 applications and admitted 1,115 (67.9%), with 347 enrolling.

Mars Hill University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Mars Hill University under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

67.9%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Read Mars Hill University's change from 89.3% to 67.9% as a share of applications, not an explanation of admissions decisions. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	89.3%
Fall 2002	85.1%
Fall 2003	81.3%
Fall 2004	68.8%
Fall 2005	66.8%
Fall 2006	61.1%
Fall 2007	68.9%
Fall 2008	68.9%
Fall 2009	57%
Fall 2010	59.2%
Fall 2011	67.8%
Fall 2012	67.6%
Fall 2013	64.5%
Fall 2014	62.1%
Fall 2015	61%
Fall 2016	56.7%
Fall 2017	58.2%
Fall 2018	57.4%
Fall 2019	63.3%
Fall 2020	67.3%
Fall 2021	79.5%
Fall 2022	74.2%
Fall 2023	77.9%
Fall 2024	67.9%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

940–1130Fall 2019 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	840	1080
Fall 2002	840	1080
Fall 2003	850	1110
Fall 2004	850	1080
Fall 2005	880	1110
Fall 2006	910	1130
Fall 2007	830	1080
Fall 2008	830	1080
Fall 2009	830	1050
Fall 2010	840	1060
Fall 2011	830	1050
Fall 2012	840	1050
Fall 2013	830	1040
Fall 2014	810	1030
Fall 2015	810	990
Fall 2016	840	1040
Fall 2017	920	1100
Fall 2018	920	1130
Fall 2019	940	1130

IPEDS Fall 2001–2019, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–23Fall 2019 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2007	16	22
Fall 2010	17	23
Fall 2011	17	22
Fall 2012	17	22
Fall 2013	17	23
Fall 2014	17	22
Fall 2015	17	22
Fall 2016	17	22
Fall 2017	17	22
Fall 2018	16	22
Fall 2019	18	23

IPEDS Fall 2007–2019, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,044Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Mars Hill University fell from 1,198 (Fall 2002) to 1,044 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	1,198
Fall 2003	1,218
Fall 2004	1,294
Fall 2005	1,255
Fall 2006	1,205
Fall 2007	1,244
Fall 2008	1,209
Fall 2009	1,210
Fall 2010	1,153
Fall 2011	1,250
Fall 2012	1,323
Fall 2013	1,393
Fall 2014	1,396
Fall 2015	1,353
Fall 2016	1,333
Fall 2017	1,255
Fall 2018	1,130
Fall 2019	1,035
Fall 2020	1,013
Fall 2021	1,017
Fall 2022	980
Fall 2023	995
Fall 2024	1,044

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

69%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Mars Hill University has wandered from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023 — up to 74% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 69%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	63%
Fall 2004 cohort	60%
Fall 2005 cohort	63%
Fall 2006 cohort	61%
Fall 2007 cohort	64%
Fall 2008 cohort	59%
Fall 2009 cohort	54%
Fall 2010 cohort	60%
Fall 2011 cohort	54%
Fall 2012 cohort	58%
Fall 2013 cohort	56%
Fall 2014 cohort	59%
Fall 2015 cohort	57%
Fall 2016 cohort	59%
Fall 2017 cohort	63%
Fall 2018 cohort	63%
Fall 2019 cohort	67%
Fall 2020 cohort	74%
Fall 2021 cohort	62%
Fall 2022 cohort	61%
Fall 2023 cohort	69%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Mars Hill University

46.2% of Mars Hill University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Mars Hill University as a primarily residential campus of 1,044 undergraduates — and 69.3% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Mars Hill University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 67.9%. Review Mars Hill University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Mars Hill University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Mars Hill University67.9%

North Carolina median74.9%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Mars Hill University$37,736

North Carolina median$19,500

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Mars Hill University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Mars Hill University$44,781

North Carolina median$45,873

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Mars Hill University, North Carolina and national reference values
Metric & basis	Mars Hill University	North Carolina median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	67.9%	74.9%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$37,736	$19,500	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$44,781	$45,873	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Mars Hill University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Mars Hill University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 5 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$74,707
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$57,743
Social Work	$51,053
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$47,176
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$41,384

These 5 fields listed for Mars Hill University measure earnings after completion. The $44,781 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 29 additional Mars Hill University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Mars Hill University report?

Mars Hill University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 67.9% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is Mars Hill University's acceptance rate?

67.9% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,115 admitted from 1,642 applicants.

How much does Mars Hill University cost?

At Mars Hill University, tuition is $37,736. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Mars Hill University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $44,781. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in North Carolina

Meredith College — 74.2% admitted
Lenoir-Rhyne University — 84.6% admitted
Methodist University — 75.1% admitted
Lees-McRae College — 76.8% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.