What Lyon College does

Lyon College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college founded in 1872 and headquartered in Batesville, Arkansas. The institution operates a School of Liberal Arts and Sciences delivering 32 majors and 24 minors to approximately 600 undergraduates with a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 15. In recent years, the college has expanded into professional healthcare education by launching Arkansas's first dental school in Little Rock in 2025 (inaugural 80-student cohort in a three-year, year-round DDS program) and developing the state's first veterinary school in Cabot (planned 120-student cohort in 2027 pending AVMA accreditation). The college also added a Master of Arts in Teaching program, awarding its first master's degrees in December 2025, and a newly accredited RN to BSN Nursing program.

Revenue derives from tuition and fees, auxiliary services (housing, dining, including Arkansas's only pet-friendly residence hall), federal and state grants (notably a $15 million federal grant for the dental school and $600,000 in USDA/DOJ grants), and private donations (including an $11 million gift for the veterinary school). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through campus visits, the lyon.edu website, Salesforce/TargetX-based inquiry management, social media (TikTok, Instagram), academic-day competitions, summer camps, and athletic recruiting for NCAA Division III Fighting Scots teams. The college's competitive positioning combines its 154-year Scottish-heritage brand with state-level regulatory exclusivity in dental and veterinary education, supported by clinical affiliations with Arkansas Children's Hospital and Cabot Animal Support Services.

Name

Lyon College

Legal name

Lyon College

Website

https://lyon.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lyon College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college founded in 1872 in Batesville, Arkansas, serving ~600 undergraduates and now expanding into healthcare professional education through Arkansas's first dental school (2025) and a planned first veterinary school (2027).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Medicine Universities (EDAHAGAG), Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate programs
• Professional healthcare education
• Dental medicine school
• Veterinary medicine school

Headquarters

HQ city

Batesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Lyon College generates revenue primarily through tuition and mandatory fees charged to enrolled undergraduate students. The college offers financial aid, scholarships, and the Lyon Pledge to offset costs for qualifying students. Tuition pricing is listed on the college's Cost & Aid pages.
2. Auxiliary Services: Revenue from housing, dining, and campus life services including residence halls (some pet-friendly), dining plans, and student activity fees.
3. Federal and State Grants: Lyon College receives federal grant funding from agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($300,000 for telehealth and education technology) and the Department of Justice ($300,000 for campus safety), as well as a $15 million federal grant supporting the dental school initiative.
4. Professional Schools (Dental & Veterinary Medicine): Revenue from professional degree programs including the School of Dental Medicine (opened 2025) and School of Veterinary Medicine (opening 2027) through tuition for graduate-level professional education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lyon College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college that delivers undergraduate education across 32 majors and 24 minors at its Batesville, Arkansas campus, along with graduate and professional programs. The institution has expanded into healthcare professional education through its School of Dental Medicine (opened 2025 in Little Rock) and School of Veterinary Medicine (opening 2027 in Cabot), supported by tuition, fees, federal and state grants, and private donations.

Product overview

Lyon College is a small, private liberal arts college in Batesville, Arkansas, offering a comprehensive educational portfolio. The institution operates under a multi-school system consisting of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (core undergraduate program), the School of Dental Medicine in Little Rock (Arkansas's first dental school launched in 2025), and the School of Veterinary Medicine in Cabot (opening 2027 pending accreditation). The college also offers graduate programs including the Master of Arts in Teaching (first master's degrees awarded December 2025), professional nursing education through its accredited RN to BSN program, honors programming through the Honors Fellows Program, TRIO student support services, and youth summer camps. Athletic facilities include Bad Boy Stadium for football. The institution serves approximately 76-145+ graduates annually across its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School of Liberal Arts and Sciences The main undergraduate liberal arts college in Batesville, Arkansas, founded in 1872, offering 32 majors, 24 minors, and concentrations with a build-your-own degree path. Features a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of 15.
• School of Dental Medicine Arkansas's first dental school, located in Little Rock, offering a unique three-year, year-round Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program. Inaugural class admitted in 2025 with 80 students. Supported by a $15 million federal grant.
• School of Veterinary Medicine Lyon College's veterinary school in Cabot, Arkansas, co-located with Cabot Animal Support Services. A four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program pending AVMA accreditation, with first cohort of 120 students planned for 2027. Supported by an $11 million donation.
• Master of Arts in Teaching Lyon College's first-ever master's degree program, the Master of Arts in Teaching, with inaugural degrees awarded in December 2025.
• RN to BSN Nursing Program Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program designed to empower nurses with knowledge, skills, and dispositions valued by employers. Recently received accreditation.
• Honors Fellows Program An honors program offering an interdisciplinary curriculum for high-achieving students, including capstone podcasts and welcome days events.
• TRIO Programs Federal student support programs including Apple Project Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) that provide academic support, college preparation, and educational opportunities for eligible students.
• Summer Camps Various summer programs including 'The Fiction Lab' writing camp for middle and high school students (grades 7-12), focusing on storytelling, creativity, and fiction writing. Priced at $150 per participant.
• Lyon College Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that allows students to access campus information, receive deadline reminders, and stay connected to the college community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80.7% medical school acceptance rate over 20 years — nearly double the national average of 41%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Arkansas Children'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Arkansas Children's and Lyon College School of Dental Medicine announced a new academic affiliation partnership starting July 1, 2026, aimed at expanding pediatric dental care, clinical education, and research opportunities across Arkansas. Under the agreement, the dental school provides administrative oversight and faculty services while Arkansas Children's facilitates hands-on clinical training for dental students. The collaboration seeks to strengthen pediatric dental services statewide while building a pipeline of future pediatric dentists, with Arkansas Children's currently serving approximately 850,000 children through facilities in Little Rock and Springdale.
• Cabot Animal Support ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine is co-located with Cabot Animal Support Services on a campus under construction in Cabot, Arkansas. This partnership provides the clinical and operational infrastructure for the veterinary school and supports hands-on training for veterinary students.
• Bad Boy MowersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerBad Boy Mowers secured naming rights for Bad Boy Stadium, the future home of Lyon College Scots football. This is a significant corporate partnership for the $2.5 million stadium project, representing a major community and corporate partnership.
• Atlas Asphalt / White River MaterialsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAtlas Asphalt/White River Materials will name the playing field at Bad Boy Stadium as part of the stadium's corporate and community partnership funding model.
• FARCO (Construction)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal firm FARCO was selected to oversee construction of Bad Boy Stadium.
• Nichols Exchange / International PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLyon College offers study abroad through the Nichols Exchange and other international program partnerships, extending educational opportunities to partner institutions abroad.
• University of Arkansas William H. Bowen School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamuel McLelland, Lyon College General Counsel, serves as an adjunct professor at the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, indicating an academic partnership relationship.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Philander Smith University: Small private HBCU in Little Rock, Arkansas — directly comparable urban Arkansas private institution with similar enrollment size and liberal arts mission.
• Drury University: Small private liberal arts university in Springfield, Missouri — comparable enrollment scale, similar undergraduate liberal arts core, comparable regional Mid-South recruitment footprint, and small class size emphasis.
• Hendrix College: Private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas — same regional market, similar size, similar undergraduate-focused liberal arts model and selective admissions profile.
• John Brown University: Private Christian university in Siloam Springs, Arkansas — comparable enrollment scale, faith-based mission, and similar emphasis on pre-professional tracks and small class sizes.
• Ouachita Baptist University: Small private Christian liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas — comparable scale, faith-affiliated mission, similar undergraduate liberal arts core curriculum and outcomes-focused model.
• University of the Ozarks: Small private liberal arts college in Clarksville, Arkansas — comparable enrollment size, similar regional recruitment focus, and Presbyterian heritage overlap with Lyon's faith-affiliated identity.
• College of the Ozarks: Small private Christian work-college near Branson, Missouri — comparable size, similar faith-affiliated mission, regional Mid-South recruitment, and tuition-offset model resembling Lyon's Lyon Pledge.

Regional players

• Arkansas Tech University: Public regional university in Russellville, Arkansas — comparable scale, same Arkansas public-private higher education ecosystem, and overlapping recruitment in the Arkansas River Valley region.
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock: Public metropolitan university in Little Rock, Arkansas — shares the Little Rock campus with Lyon's dental school; competes for the same regional student pool and offers overlapping professional programs.

Emerging players

• University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine: Established veterinary school whose former dean (Dr. Carolyn Henry) now leads Lyon's new vet school — directly comparable AVMA-accredited DVM program that will be the closest benchmark for Lyon's emerging veterinary school.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@lyoncollege
• Xx.com/lyoncollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/126960481456
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lyon-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lyon College