Lyra is a ward of what institution in "The Golden Compass"?

Lyra is a ward of Jordan College in Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Compass.” The Oxford college shelters and educates her after her parents’ disappearance, although Lyra spends much of her childhood exploring its buildings and grounds rather than behaving like a conventional student.

Jordan College is a fictional institution in Pullman’s parallel version of Oxford. Its scholars study unusual subjects, including Dust, the mysterious substance connected to consciousness and the wider universe. The college’s Master also gives Lyra the alethiometer, a truth-reading device that becomes central to her journey.

A common mix-up is confusing Jordan College with the Magisterium, the powerful religious authority in Lyra’s world. The Magisterium influences events and opposes certain kinds of inquiry, but it is not Lyra’s home. In the film, Jordan College was represented by Oxford’s Christ Church, while the television adaptation used New College as a filming location.