Lyon College expansion one year closer to completion

BATESVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) - Lyon College has been working hard to bring veterinary and dentistry schools to Arkansas.

K8 previously reported Lyon College began developing plans for proposed veterinary and dental schools.

Both schools are actively working on the accreditation process and should expect to be submitted by May 3. The application for the veterinary school submitted its accreditation request and expects a consultative site visit.

Lyon College President Dr. Melissa Taverner expects both schools to have around 100 students initially, with a much larger class later.

The schools plan to start having classes in the second half of 2025, with recruiting process beginning in the latter half of 2024.

The National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine says Arkansas ranks last in dentists per capita and the Bureau of Labor Statistics also places Arkansas last in the number of veterinarians with 14.2 per person.

By bringing these two schools to Arkansas, OneHealth Founding Partner Merritt Dake says this will attract more students to Arkansas to further their careers.

With an influx of new students, an economic impact study finds the school will have a $94 million economic impact on the state.

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