Mars Hill University vs Shepherd University

Mars Hill University and Shepherd University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Mars Hill, a private university nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Shepherd, a public university located in the historic town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, offers a more diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate, providing a vibrant and inclusive campus environment. While both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, Mars Hill is known for its strong programs in music, business, and nursing, while Shepherd is recognized for its exceptional offerings in education, social work, and engineering. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mars Hill University	Shepherd University
Overview
Location	Mars Hill, North Carolina	Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	74.0%	66.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.5%	96.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	N/A	960 - 1180
ACT range	N/A	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		47.0%
Students submitting ACT score		17.0%
Total number of applicants	1,713	1,338
Total number of admissions given out	1,362	1,290
Admitted students who chose to enroll	302	419
Yield rate	22.2%	32.5%
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)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$45,251	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572
Average net price	$18,717	$10,360
Tuition	$35,655	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276
Room & board	$9,934	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $27,309	87.0% Average amount $7,767
Students receiving federal student loan	74.0% Average amount $5,350	53.0% Average amount $5,075
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $14,231	7.0% Average amount $12,449

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,026 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	47 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	40.0%	27.6%
International students	5.3%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	839	1,052
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina Georgia Florida South Carolina Tennessee	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences Public Administration and Social Service	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.5%	44.1%
Dropout rate	37.9%	43.3%
Transferred out	28.6%	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,704 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $65,982 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,620 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,735 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,461 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $48,671 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,026 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $43,769 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,615 Year 2: $38,670 Year 3: $42,186 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,736 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,911 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,185 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $39,264 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,498 Year 2: $31,763 Year 3: $38,847 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,225 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $38,312 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,000 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: $35,390

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Mars Hill University vs Shepherd University

Mars Hill University

Shepherd University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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