About Lyndon

Why Lyndon?

Why Lyndon? A Baker’s Dozen

Focused on opportunity and personal success. It’s first on our list and it’s right there in our mission statement: we prepare every student for personal and professional success. From our First-Year Experience to our Academic Resource Center, faculty and staff go the extra distance to leave no Lyndon student behind.

Nationally-recognized professional programs. Lyndon’s Meteorology, Mountain Recreation Management, Education and multi-award winning Television Studies programs have been regional and national leaders in their fields for many years. Prepare for exciting careers in our Business, Exercise Science, Graphic Design, Human Services, Music Business and Industry, or New Media programs. This small school shines a bright light.

An experiential, hands-on education. Internships, site-visits, hands-on projects, research, and travel are central to the Lyndon experience—starting in your first year.

Liberal arts = flexibility. We value critical thinking, good communication skills, and a well-rounded base of knowledge. All degree candidates choose from a core of courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Lyndon has degree programs in these fields as well. Our innovative Explorations program is for students who want to explore their options before choosing a major.

Great teachers—who actually teach. We can all recall the difference a great teacher has made in our lives. Passionate, knowledgeable, and accessible: for Lyndon’s faculty, teaching is job one. Lyndon students routinely form bonds with professors that last a lifetime.

The personal touch. We’re generally on a first-name basis here at Lyndon. Our friendly, open atmosphere is part of what makes this a great community to learn and grow in. One thing that may surprise you when you land on campus is the large number of faculty and staff who attended Lyndon. We love this school. That’s one reason why we care so much about the College and the kind of experiences our students have.

Our modern, hill-top campus. It can be hard to concentrate on studies with the awesome view of Burke Mountain right outside the window. The oldest building on the Lyndon campus dates way back to… 1964.

A tight-knit and active community. We think you’ll feel at home in our community of 1500 students. We are an active lot: most Lyndon students participate in numerous clubs, intramural sports, and activities.

NCAA athletics. Lyndon is a competitive Division 3 NCAA school with varsity sports in baseball, basketball, cross country, lacrosse (men), soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball (women). And our student/athletes really get to play! We are the current North Atlantic Conference Champions in men’s Cross Country, second place in women’s cross-country, women’s tennis, and men’s soccer.

Hey, it’s Vermont! Our corner of the state, The Northeast Kingdom, is an outdoor paradise. We’re 10 minutes from world-famous mountain biking at Kingdom Trails and winter sports at Burke Mountain. The campus is less than an hour from Jay Peak in Vermont, and Cannon, Loon, Waterville Valley, and Bretton Woods in New Hampshire.

Value. Did you know that 59% of America’s millionaires attended a state college or university? Yes, a college education is a great investment in your future. And at Lyndon 90 percent of our students receive some form of financial assistance.

An arts and cultural center. Lyndon is a cultural center for the Northeast Kingdom. We are home to The Quimby Gallery, an ongoing lecture and arts series, The Twilight Players theater group, weekly movie screenings, student concerts, and performances from artists such as Neko Case, The Vermont Symphony, and The Second City Comedy Troupe.

Your future. Join the thousands of successful Lyndon grads: the weather channel’s Jim Cantore; the 29 Lyndon alumni at ESPN; Carhartt CEO Mark Valade; and the countless educators, resort managers, and business leaders who changed their lives at Lyndon.

Fast Facts

Lyndon State College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Accreditation by the association indicates that the institution has been carefully evaluated and found to meet standards agreed upon by qualified educators.

For more than 100 years, Lyndon State College prepares every student for personal and professional success through experience-based, high-quality programs in the liberal arts and professional studies.

Fast Facts

Year founded – 1911
Acreage – 195
Number of buildings – 24
Number of employees – 58 full-time faculty, 128 staff and administrators, and about 93 adjunct faculty members (of which 17 are staff members)
Number of students – 1,429 (10/15/11)
Percentage of in-state (57%) and out-of-state students (43%)
Percentage of male students (54%) and female students (46%)
Percentage of Northeast Kingdom students – 30%
Percentage of New England students – 93%
Percentage of adult learners – 14%
Percentage of first-in-family students – 53%
Number of students housed in the residence halls – 700 (fall 2011)
Percentage of residence students versus commuters – 52%
The retention percentage for first-year students (fall ’10 to spring ’11) – 85% and (fall ’10 to fall ’11) – 62%
The overall retention rate percentage of students (fall to fall) – 72% and (fall to spring) – 89%
Graduation rate – 38% (compared to national average of 34%)
Career placement within six months after graduation – 91% for 2010 graduates
Number of students graduated in 2010-2011 – 250
Number of majors – 26 undergraduate bachelor’s programs
Highest enrolled majors – Mountain Recreation Management, Music Business and Industry, Electronic Journalism Arts, and Atmospheric Sciences
Departments with the most majors offered – Visual Arts, Exercise Science, Psychology & Human Services, Mountain Recreation Management, and Business Administration
Ratio of faculty to students – 14.5 students per 1 faculty member
Ratio of computers to students – 5.2 students per 1 computer
Percentage of full-time faculty with terminal degrees in their fields – 86%
Average class size – 17.6 students
Tuition in state – $8,568
Tuition out of state – $18,456
Room and board – $8,446
Percentage of students on financial aid – 85%
Percentage of students that work on campus – 18%
State appropriations, as a percentage of revenue – 15% (fiscal year 2011)
Annual operating budget – $34 million (all funds)
Size of endowment – $3,039,637 (as of 9/30/11)
Private giving – $848,158 (fiscal year 2011)
Federal grants – $4,737,350 (fiscal year 2011)
Memberships – Lyndon is part of the Vermont State Colleges’ system, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, and a participant in the U.S. Air Force ROTC program.

From the President

Welcome to Lyndon State College. I am pleased you chose to explore Lyndon as a possible college for your future. Selecting the college or university that is right for you is a significant decision in your life—one that will forge the path to your future and determine many lifelong directions as well as your network of friends. I encourage you to continue to explore Lyndon’s web site but, most importantly, I urge you to visit the campus. A campus visit is critical to your choosing a college. It will give you a good sense of the college community and allow you to determine whether or not you would fit well in the community.

There are many things that I could tell you about Lyndon. For example, we have an extraordinary faculty well versed in their disciplines; most are practitioners in their respective fields. Our staff are dedicated to students and provide many extra support services. These things I know you will glean as you explore the web site, and you will certainly recognize these attributes if you come on campus. However, there is a particularly important characteristic of our College that I want to underscore, even though it may well become evident as you navigate your way through our web site: at Lyndon, everyone is dedicated to a single, shared goal—the success of each and every individual student. You will find that the minute you enroll at Lyndon, everyone here will be committed to YOU.

We know that students come to college with aspirations, talents and abilities, and each with his or her unique definition of success. Here at Lyndon we see our role as developing those talents and abilities, whatever they might be, so that all students can fulfill their potential and realize their own success.

At Lyndon we make sure that when you leave us, you leave with more than just a diploma, more than that all-important college degree. When you graduate from Lyndon, you will leave with:

The knowledge that you need to enter your chosen field
A liberal arts background that will serve you well in your career path and in your everyday life
The real-world experience you gained through internships and fieldwork. Such practical experience will be invaluable in securing your first position and many thereafter
The self-confidence you have gained, not only through campus life experiences, but also through the field work in which you will apply the theoretical knowledge to your chosen profession
A network of friends, faculty, staff, and fellow students who will help you throughout your entire life. This network will always be there to support you as you change positions or careers, as you enter new phases of your life.

So, as you explore the web site, I hope you will gain a sense of the spirit of Lyndon, the spirit of everyone committed to your success. I wish you well in your selection of a college and in your future academic endeavors. Please come and visit Lyndon and catch the spirit!

Steve Gold,
Interim President

Our Mission

Our Mission

Lyndon State College prepares every student for personal and professional success through experience-based, high-quality programs in the liberal arts and professional studies.

Core Values

Quality Education: We offer Quality Education in liberal arts and professional programs that develops creative and critical thinking for success in today’s global society.
Experience: We believe Experience is the hallmark of a Lyndon education, linking theory and practice, both inside and outside the classroom.
Opportunity: We create Opportunity for students of varying ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue an affordable, high-quality education.
Community: As a Community of life-long learners, we encourage personal and social responsibility, honesty, common sense, collaboration, respect for diversity, and the principles represented in the Lyndon State College Promise.
Integrity: We believe Integrity is emphasized in all facets of our community by holding true to our mission and values in the programs and services we offer and in our internal and external relations.

The Lyndon State College Promise

As a member of the Lyndon State College community I will make a sincere effort to:

Communicate openly, honestly and respectfully with others
Practice personal and academic integrity
Discourage bigotry, respect differences and learn from others’ ideas, values and experiences
Respect the property of others
Be curious, think critically, ask questions and actively contribute to the learning environment
Demonstrate compassion and responsibility through service and involvement at Lyndon and the surrounding community

Leadership Team

Interim President Steve Gold