| Location: | Southeast |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Private |
| Affiliation: | Baptist |
| Size: | Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad) |
| Mascot: | Lions |
Mars Hill College, an academic community rooted in the Christian faith, challenges and equips students to pursue intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth through an education that is:
grounded in a rigorous study of the Liberal Arts
connected with the world of work, and
committed to character development, to service, and to responsible citizewnship in the community, the region, and the world.
Mars Hill College is a private, coed, liberal-arts college affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention. The college is located in the small town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, 15 miles due north of Asheville, western North Carolina's largest city. Mars Hill College is easily accessible from Asheville via Interstate 26, which runs about a mile east of the college.
Mars Hill College was founded in 1856, and it is the oldest college or university in western North Carolina. The college was originally named the French Broad Baptist Academy, after the nearby French Broad River. In 1859 the college changed its name to Mars Hill, in honor of the hill in ancient Athens on which the Apostle Paul debated Christianity with the city's leading philosophers. During the American Civil War the college was closed for two years, but it reopened after the war. From 1897 to 1938 the college, under the leadership of Dr. Robert Moore, enjoyed substantial financial and physical growth. In 1921 Mars Hill became an accredited junior college. Dr. Hoyt Blackwell served as president from 1938 to 1966, and under his leadership Mars Hill became an accredited four-year college in 1962. Dr. Dan Lunsford, a 1969 graduate of Mars Hill, is currently the college's president; he holds an Ed.D from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under Dr. Lunsford the college has constructed a new dormitory and science building, greatly upgraded its athletic facilities, tripled its endowment, and seen an increase in student enrollment.
Mars Hill is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the college's enrollment is typically around 1500 students. The college is a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Mars Hill's sports mascot is the Lion. The men's cross country team has recently been the most successful sport at the college; they have won 11 straight conference titles and have competed in the NCAA Division II meet numerous times. The college offers five degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Social Work), and 31 majors. Mars Hill is known for its excellent departments in music and other fine arts. The "Bailey Mountain Cloggers", the college's dance team, have won 14 national championships in clogging and other traditional folk dances, and they frequently perform internationally, especially in Europe. In 2002 the college opened the Ramsey Center for Regional Studies. Named after an MHC alumnus who served a record four terms as the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, the center is dedicated to preserving the heritage and culture of the people of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
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| Percent of Students International: | 1% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 72% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (South Atlantic Conference) Basketball (South Atlantic Conference) Baseball (South Atlantic Conference) Track (South Atlantic Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 16,854 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 15,252 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 1,602 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 5,600 | 89% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 2,900 | 61% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 6,850 | 68% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 1,200 | 69% | |
Any Aid: |
99% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 67% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 82% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 430, Math: 450 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 550, Math: 560 |
| Application Fee: | $ 25.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Recommended |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Recommended |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
