Mars Hill College Today
The college's enrollment is typically around 1,000 traditional students, and more than 200 students in its nontraditional degree program. In its annual survey of "America's Best Colleges," Mars Hill is listed by U.S. News and World Report as a "first-tier" regional (Southern) liberal-arts college. In 2012 Mars Hill also placed 18th nationally among baccalaureate colleges (out of 100 surveyed) in Washington Monthly's annual survey of the nations' best colleges. The college offers five degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Social Work), and 33 majors. In 2011 the college started a graduate program to offer the M.Ed degree. The most popular majors are in the fields of education, natural sciences, and music; the college is known for its excellent departments in music and other fine arts. In 1932 Lamar Stringfield, an MHC alumnus, formed the North Carolina Symphony, the first state-supported orchestra in the nation. The "Bailey Mountain Cloggers," the college's dance team, have won 20 national championships in clogging, and they have performed all over the United States and internationally in Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Austria, and Ireland. 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.
The college has a scenic 180-acre (0.7 km2) campus; most of the dormitories are located atop two hills, named "men's hill" and "women's hill" respectively. The main campus is located in a small valley between the two hills. The college is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains; from various points on campus, it is possible to see Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Bailey Mountain (nicknamed "Old Bailey") is located less than a mile (1.5 km) from campus and is a local landmark.
In 2008 MHC gained considerable autonomy from the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina when the state convention voted to eliminate the requirement that it have final approval over who could serve as trustees for the college; this would allow the college to choose non-Baptists as trustees. The state convention also agreed to start transferring funds traditionally given directly to the college to a scholarship fund for Baptist students. The move was made in conjunction with the four other remaining N.C. Baptist Colleges - Gardner-Webb University, Campbell University, Wingate University, and Chowan University.
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