The Mars Hill Experience

Since 1856, students at Mars Hill College have looked at life from a slightly different perspective. That’s because Mars Hill is a different college. As a small, private, liberal arts institution in the mountains of North Carolina, Mars Hill offers a unique educational experience. Mars Hill has a disciplined and rigorous academic program built on a foundation of applied Christian values. You will learn and live in the secure, nurturing environment, and yet be free to explore a world of options and ideas. You will grow to understand yourself, even as you become sensitive to your obligations to others and to society. Your four years at Mars Hill College will do more than prepare you for a career. Mars Hill College will prepare you for a satisfying journey through life.

The Mars Hill Locale

Located in the town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, less than 20 minutes from Asheville, Mars Hill College offers students the benefits of small town living, as well as the diverse social, cultural and recreational advantages of a progressive urban area.

The Mars Hill campus is spread over 180 acres in addition to a 1000-acre farm, both of which are set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains. These beautiful surroundings provide a comfortable, secure environment for all types of student activities from hiking and biking with friends to spending an afternoon alone, reading on a hillside.

On campus you will find facilities for a range of indoor and outdoor recreation, including swimming, basketball, tennis, racquetball, hiking, soccer, softball, and baseball.

Within minutes of Mars Hill, you can experience all the flavor and variety of the Appalachian region. From folk artists whose crafts and techniques have been handed down through generations, to contemporary writers, sculptors, potters, and painters, the mountains offer an array of cultural diversity. Students often plan outings to area attractions such as the Asheville Civic Center, which hosts a variety of concerts, plays and entertainment; Biltmore House, built by industrialist George Vanderbilt, is the largest private home in the United States; and the Botanical Gardens, featuring 10 acres of native plants and wildflowers.
The area surrounding Mars Hill also provides opportunities for almost every kind of recreation imaginable. You can spend an afternoon driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 470-mile scenic highway, or a weekend camping on Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.

You may choose to play golf at one of the many quality courses in the area, plan a white water rafting trip through the Nantahala Gorge, or hike the Appalachian Trail. For snow skiing enthusiasts, Wolf Laurel, Sugar Mountain, and Beech Mountain are well within an hour’s drive of Mars Hill and offer slopes for the beginner and experts alike. At Mars Hill College, there is plenty to do and see year round.

A Quality, Caring Family

Because the faculty at Mars Hill share a special sense of commitment and "calling" to their teaching profession, you will find classes academically challenging and professors personally attentive. There are no teaching assistants or graduate assistants in charge of the classroom, all classes, even freshman and sophomore courses are taught by professors.

Faculty at Mars Hill are dedicated to teaching and advising, and their credentials reflect their academic preparation. Of 85 full-time faculty members, more than 75 percent have earned the highest degree in their disciplines and many more have been recognized for outstanding contributions to their professional field. Whether you need a little extra guidance to grasp a complex concept or want to engage in a more in-depth debate on a thought-provoking topic, your professors are happy to give you the personal attention that you deserve.

To ensure that each Mars Hill student receives an excellent education that will prepare him or her for the demands of our changing world, Mars Hill stresses a curriculum of liberal arts courses, supplemented by course work in a chosen academic major. Students at Mars Hill may earn one of five degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Social Work), and can choose from 31 majors.

Professors are just as accessible outside their classrooms, serving as academic advisors, coaching intramural and club sports, and sponsoring student organizations. You may find yourself sitting next to one of your professors in the campus dining hall or at a football game, or vying for a lane in the gymnasium’s indoor swimming pool.

Faculty at Mars Hill are enthusiastic about subjects they teach, and they strive to share their love of learning with each individual student.