Mars Hill University is a private, coed, liberal arts university. The university is located in the town of Mars Hill, North Carolina, 15 miles north of Asheville. The university is part of the Asheville metropolitan area. Mars Hill University offers 34 majors, including a school of nursing and a graduate school in education. In 2017 U.S. News & World Report, in its annual review of the nation's best colleges and universities, ranked Mars Hill among the Top 20 Southern Regional Colleges, and in 2016 Washington Monthly placed Mars Hill among its Top 25 National Universities (Bachelor) out of 224 surveyed.