Lyon College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Batesville, Arkansas. It enrolls 648 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
58/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes27
Value31
Affordability61
Selectivity61
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Lyon College admits 62.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
62.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Lyon College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
21.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,616 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$31,000
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,750
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,750
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,850
Total Cost of Attendance
$44,978
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$16,084
$30,001 – $48,000
$16,695
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,348
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,936
Over $110,000
$23,391
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$21,500Medianpercentile
$24,72075%percentile
$27,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,000
↓ $10,500
No Pell $8,623
↓ $12,877
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $10,500
Independent students $7,500
↓ $14,000
Female students $13,761
↓ $7,739
Male students $8,373
↓ $13,127
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($21,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
44% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $44,232 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$44,232
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$36,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$52,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$37,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$45,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $16,100, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↓
1.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 648 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 30% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
648
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
30%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 33.3%216
International 7.9%51
Black 7.4%48
Hispanic 6.5%42
Asian 1.4%9
Other 1.2%8
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Lyon College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Lyon College offers
a varied set of programs:
19 distinct programs across
12 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$59M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$54,151
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
50 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
9
18%
$55,992
Associate Professors
19
38%
$58,102
Assistant Professors
20
40%
$51,159
Instructors
2
4%
$38,250
Pros & Cons of Lyon College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Lyon College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Lyon College is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lyon College
The questions families ask most about Lyon College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Lyon College hard to get into?
Admissions at Lyon College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 62.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Lyon College?
62.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Lyon College cost?
Budget around $19,616 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lyon College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $44,232 a year against a net price of $19,616, about 2.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Lyon College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Kinesiology, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Lyon College graduates earn?
About $44,232 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lyon College accredited?
Yes. Lyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Lyon College?
648 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Lyon College?
44% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Lyon College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Lyon College located?
Lyon College is located in Batesville, Arkansas.
What programs does Lyon College offer?
19 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Kinesiology, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Lyon College?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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