Lyon College

Considered "one of the best liberal arts colleges in the South," Lyon College offers a rigorous education in a "friendly, safe, and welcoming environment." With a tiny undergraduate enrollment, the "intimate setting and individual attention" is what really characterizes Lyon. Here, "Classes are extremely small," naturally fostering "close relationships" between students and faculty. At the same time, Lyon professors are "very knowledgeable in their respective fields," and most try to make lectures engaging or to "bring humor into the classes." "The workload here is challenging," yet, according to most students, "Learning at Lyon is easy as long as you are willing to step forward and actively participate." "Professors…are more than willing to help any student" struggling in his or her class, and "The library runs a Learning Center with free tutors." Making learning a totally personal experience, "The professors want to get to know you and make an effort to remember your personal interests and career choices." Does all the hard work and individual attention pay off? Students say it does: "If you graduate from Lyon with a good GPA, chances are you have written enough good papers to be ahead of the curve in any grad school or profession." An anthropology major tells us, "After being a student here I feel that I can handle just about anything."

Described by their classmates as "intelligent" and "honest," "The typical student at Lyon is hardworking and strives for success." Entering undergraduates "were generally at the top of their class in high school" and are "willing to put out all the effort it takes to earn the respect of teachers, staff, and peers." "Most students at the school are from the South, and a high percentage from Arkansas;" however, there are "a wide variety of interests and preferences among the students." At Lyon, people of varying "athletic abilities, race, religion, sexual orientation, and origin" mix comfortably. In addition, "More and more out-of-state students are enrolling" as Lyon gains prestige and notoriety. "Boundaries don't really exist" between social groups, and "students are like a huge family." According to most undergrads, "Fitting in is as simple as introducing yourself."

For most students, life at Lyon is dominated by "classes, academic exhaustion, studying, and trying to get at least a little sleep." Fortunately, "When Friday comes around, it's time for a break." With a "multitude of activities" on campus, most undergraduates take time to "participate in intramurals, go to the movies, hang out with friends, go downtown, go to the river, watch sporting events, and go for walks." "There is a game room and a rock climbing wall" on campus, and through the outdoor program, students can go "mountain biking, backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, bouldering, [or] slack lining." Among the school's more unique offerings, there is an annual "Scottish fest" on campus, and "The school band is a bagpipe band." "Dancing is big with the students," and "There is generally a party every weekend, sometimes themed." (Fortunately, most students are "more than capable of partying responsibly.") "Lyon is located in Batesville, Arkansas, which is very small, to say the least," and there is little off-campus entertainment beyond "Wal-mart excursions at 4 A.M." However, campus is beautiful, and students often "walk or hike on the campus trails, grab a campus bike and take a ride, play Frisbee golf on the college's course, and take outdoor adventure excursions." Dorms are comfortable and relatively spacious, with student rooms "set up in suites."