Catawba College vs Mars Hill University

Catawba College and Mars Hill University, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Catawba, with an acceptance rate of 68%, boasts a diverse student body, with 44% male and 56% female students. Mars Hill, with a slightly lower acceptance rate of 65%, has a more balanced gender ratio, with 48% male and 52% female students. While Catawba excels in Business, Education, and Health Professions, Mars Hill shines in Business, Education, and Psychology. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Catawba at 62% and Mars Hill at 58%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' costs, financial aid, student life, and other crucial factors, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Catawba College	Mars Hill University
Overview
Location	Salisbury, North Carolina	Mars Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	74.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	56.1%	79.5%
Application fees
SAT range	990 - 1150	N/A
ACT range	18 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	49.0%
Total number of applicants	2,199	1,713
Total number of admissions given out	1,234	1,362
Admitted students who chose to enroll	264	302
Yield rate	21.4%	22.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$46,262	$45,251
Average net price	$19,276	$18,717
Tuition	$32,380	$35,655
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,564 Meal plan: $4,566	$9,934
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $26,327	99.0% Average amount $27,309
Students receiving federal student loan	63.0% Average amount $5,262	74.0% Average amount $5,350
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $11,314	15.0% Average amount $14,231

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,142 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	1,026 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Graduate students	65 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%	47 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	40.0%
International students	5.2%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	688	839
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina Georgia Florida South Carolina Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	59.8%	33.5%
Dropout rate	39.5%	37.9%
Transferred out	N/A	28.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,918 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $55,370 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,677 Year 2: $34,259 Year 3: $35,554 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,810 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,518 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,672 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $30,810 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,419 Year 2: $22,482 Year 3: $29,367 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,770 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,693 Year 3: N/A	Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $40,958 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,795 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,962 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,637 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $36,750 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,437 Year 3: $36,608 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,048 Year 2: $33,726 Year 3: $36,441 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,836 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,645 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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