Mars Hill University
Mars Hill, North Carolina · Website
$44,781
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,781
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Mars Hill University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Mars Hill, North Carolina with 1,044 undergraduates and 49 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,910 a year (tuition and fees $37,736). It admits 68% of applicants and 45% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $44,781 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $26,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,910
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$37,736
US median $11,837
Admission rate
68%
US median 78%
Completion rate
45%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$26,000
About $276 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$44,781
Rank 2,044 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $19,910
- Tuition and fees
- $37,736
- Cost of attendance
- $50,099
- Students with a need-based grant
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 62%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,021
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,020
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $20,628
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $21,637
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,972
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $29,382 in 2015-16 to $37,736 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 68%
- Undergraduates
- 1,044
- Graduate students
- 49
- Part-time students
- 4.6%
- Women
- 50%
- Students per teacher
- 11
- Completion rate
- 45%
- Retention rate
- 69%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 42
- Endowment
- $60.8M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,044 of 5,094 US colleges and 37 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,910 | $14,086 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $37,736 | $6,906 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 68% | 75% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 45% | 48% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 69% | 72% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $26,000 | $20,000 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,680 | $31,569 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,781 | $36,048 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 49% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 60% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
42 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $21,998 | $37,725 | $57,743 | $68,257 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $103,485 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $27,000 | Withheld | $41,384 | $55,378 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $26,000 | $41,643 | $51,053 | $51,790 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | $27,000 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $23,500 | $63,302 | $74,707 | $88,910 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | $26,040 | $29,455 | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,176 | $47,382 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,983 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,374 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,389 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Public AdministrationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,293 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,892 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,916 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Mars Hill and North Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in North Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in North Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Mars Hill University cost?
$19,910 a year is the average net price at Mars Hill University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $37,736, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $50,099. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,021 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Mars Hill University?
68% of applicants are admitted to Mars Hill University. The median admission rate of colleges in North Carolina is 75%.
How much do Mars Hill University graduates earn?
$44,781 a year is the median pay of former Mars Hill University students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,680 after 6 years). That ranks 2,044 of 5,094 US colleges and 37 of 147 in North Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $63,302.
How much student debt do Mars Hill University graduates have?
$26,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Mars Hill University graduates, about $276 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 62% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Mars Hill University?
45% of first-time, full-time students at Mars Hill University finish within 6 years. 69% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Mars Hill University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (30 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (21 master's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (19 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 42 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.