Harding University vs Lyon College

Harding University and Lyon College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Harding, a private Christian university in Searcy, Arkansas, boasts a higher acceptance rate (58%) compared to Lyon's more selective admissions (48%). Lyon, a private liberal arts college in Batesville, Arkansas, excels in the humanities and social sciences, while Harding offers a broader range of programs, including popular majors like nursing, business, and education. Lyon's student body is slightly smaller, fostering a close-knit community, while Harding's larger student body provides a more diverse and vibrant campus life. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Harding's at 63% and Lyon's at 60%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Harding University logo

Harding University

Lyon College logo

Lyon College

Overview

Location Searcy, Arkansas Batesville, Arkansas
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 69.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Churches of Christ Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 54.1% 27.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $45
SAT range 1050 - 1300 1050 - 1195
ACT range 20 - 28 21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 23.0% 11.0%
Students submitting ACT score 80.0% 62.0%
Total number of applicants 2,200 2,444
Total number of admissions given out 1,191 665
Admitted students who chose to enroll 748 138
Yield rate 62.8% 20.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $34,538 $45,494
Average net price $20,533 $10,537
Tuition $21,690 $29,450
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,068

Meal plan: $4,658
Room/dormitory: $5,760

Meal plan: $5,750
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $12,769
100.0%
Average amount $22,878
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $5,607
63.0%
Average amount $6,597
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $12,585
5.0%
Average amount $8,969

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,684
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
579
Men 59.1% Women 40.9%
Graduate students 1,289
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 6.2% 7.6%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 2,867 589
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 67.2% 45.5%
Dropout rate 31.7% 54.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,748
  • Year 2: $124,539
  • Year 3: $127,639
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,011
  • Year 2: $106,978
  • Year 3: $105,028
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,933
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $88,179
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,415
  • Year 2: $68,618
  • Year 3: $71,365
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,335
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $69,942
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,533
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $67,054
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,156
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $65,082
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,219
  • Year 2: $57,047
  • Year 3: $64,125
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,088
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $62,592
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,124
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $60,778
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Harding University Harding University vs Heritage Christian University Heritage Christian University
Harding University Harding University vs Lyon College Lyon College
Harding University Harding University vs University of Arkansas University of Arkansas
Harding University Harding University vs University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Harding University Harding University vs Arkansas State University Arkansas State University
Harding University Harding University vs University of Arkansas at Monticello University of Arkansas at Monticello
Harding University Harding University vs University of Central Arkansas University of Central Arkansas
Harding University Harding University vs Hendrix College Hendrix College
Harding University Harding University vs John Brown University John Brown University
Harding University Harding University vs Philander Smith College Philander Smith College
Harding University Harding University vs Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Harding University Harding University vs University of Arkansas-Fort Smith University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Harding University Harding University vs Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University
Harding University Harding University vs Butler University Butler University
Harding University Harding University vs The University of Findlay The University of Findlay
Harding University Harding University vs Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Harding University Harding University vs Wilkes University Wilkes University
Harding University Harding University vs Lincoln Memorial University Lincoln Memorial University
Harding University Harding University vs Hardin-Simmons University Hardin-Simmons University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Huntingdon College Huntingdon College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Hendrix College Hendrix College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Thomas Aquinas College Thomas Aquinas College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Centenary College of Louisiana Centenary College of Louisiana
Lyon College Lyon College vs Missouri Baptist University Missouri Baptist University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Davidson College Davidson College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Elon University Elon University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Salem College Salem College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Erskine College Erskine College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Furman University Furman University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Presbyterian College Presbyterian College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Wofford College Wofford College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Belmont University Belmont University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Bryan College-Dayton Bryan College-Dayton
Lyon College Lyon College vs Carson-Newman University Carson-Newman University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Lipscomb University Lipscomb University
Lyon College Lyon College vs King University King University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Lee University Lee University
Lyon College Lyon College vs The University of the South The University of the South
Lyon College Lyon College vs Trevecca Nazarene University Trevecca Nazarene University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Tusculum University Tusculum University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Union University Union University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University
Lyon College Lyon College vs Messenger College Messenger College
Lyon College Lyon College vs Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky