Lyon College vs. Catawba College

Should I go to Lyon College or Catawba College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lyon College or Catawba College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Lyon College vs. Catawba College comparison
Lyon College Catawba College College 3 College 4
Lyon College Catawba College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Lyon College Catawba College
Location Batesville, AR Salisbury, NC
Setting Remote Town Distant Town
Enrollment 584 1,241
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #659
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lyon.edu catawba.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lyon College Catawba College
Tuition (In State) $29,900 $33,400
Tuition (Out of State) $29,900 $33,400
Room & Board $10,750 $12,550
Avg Net Price $22,675 $18,319
Avg Grant Aid $22,064 $29,599
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Lyon College Catawba College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,522 2,547
Admitted 1,653 1,979
Acceptance Rate 65.5% 77.7%
Enrolled % 14.3% 15.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.64
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/26 20/25
SAT Range 1050/1195 1010/1186
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Lyon College Catawba College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • History (12%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

Lyon College Catawba College
Graduation Rate 50% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $42,000
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 60%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $258

Diversity

Lyon College Catawba College
% Men 2% 3%
% Women 2% 4%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 75% 69%
% Black 6% 19%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 6% 0%

Students

Lyon College Catawba College
% In-State 55% 61%
% Out-of-State 42% 34%

Campus

Lyon College Catawba College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Catawba College is larger than than Lyon College based on total student enrollment (1,241 students vs. 584 students)

Lyon College vs. Catawba College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lyon College or Catawba College?

  • Catawba College is 11.7% more expensive to attend than Lyon College for in-state tuition ($33,400.00 vs. $29,900.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.7% higher at Catawba College than Lyon College ($33,400.00 vs. $29,900.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Catawba College than Lyon College ($18,319 vs. $22,675)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lyon College are 16.7% lower than costs at Catawba College ($10,750 vs. $12,550)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Lyon College as Catawba College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Catawba College students is 34.2% larger than aid received Lyon College ($29,599 vs. $22,064)

Lyon College vs. Catawba College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lyon College or Catawba College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Catawba College or Lyon College .

  • The average SAT score at Lyon College (1120) is 130 points higher than at Catawba College (990)
  • Incoming Lyon College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Catawba College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Catawba College students have a 0.64 point higher average high school GPA (3.64) than students at Lyon College (3.0)
  • Catawba College has a higher acceptance rate (77.7%) than Lyon College (65.5%)

Lyon College vs. Catawba College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lyon College or Catawba College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Catawba College and Lyon College.

  • The graduation rate at Catawba College is higher than Lyon College (54% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Lyon College earn on average $1,900 more per year than Catawba College graduates after ten years. ($43,900 vs. $42,000)
  • Catawba College and Lyon College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($25,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Catawba College and Lyon College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($258 vs. $258)
  • More Lyon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Catawba College students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 60%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/