University of Valley Forge is the latest college to close

It’s the end of the road for Pennsylvania’s University of Valley Forge once summer ends.

Last Thursday, the private Christian college announced that it will close after this semester, on Aug. 21, according to its academic calendar.

“To our students, we are deeply sorry,” read the Board of Trustees announcement.

This page will be continuously updated as University Business monitors the changing landscape of college closings, mergers and acquisitions in 2026.

The college closings and mergers of 2026

University of Valley Forge (Pa.)

The board acknowledged the university’s decades-long attempts to pursue strategic partnerships and other efforts to address its financial struggles.

Enrollment has fallen by half since 2007, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Less than 500 students were enrolled full-time according to the university’s latest report.

Last month, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education threatened to strip the university’s accreditation by Sept. 1 unless officials could prove the school remained in compliance with financial regulations.

“Please know that until the very last moment, we had significant reason to believe there was a sustainable path forward,” the university’s board said. “However, that path did not materialize in time.”

Small, private, faith-based institutions have become especially vulnerable to closures in recent years. Half of all institutions that have announced closures this year are affiliated with Christian or Catholic denominations.

The university will maintain staff to support students, preserve academic records and manage ongoing financial assets.

The university named Eastern University, Messiah University and Southeastern University as teach-out partners. Eastern is the nearest university, while Southeastern is based in Lakeland, Florida.

“This is a painful moment for our community, but it is not one without hope,” Valley Forge’s board said.

Anna Maria College (Mass.)

Anna Maria College, in Paxton, Massachusetts, will close at the end of the academic year, the 80-year-old private Catholic college announced on April 23. It is the latest casualty in a decade-long string of statewide closures that swallowed up Hampshire College earlier this month.

Anna Maria College has been facing years of financial pressure that leadership “was ultimately unable to overcome,” according to a statement by President Sean Ryan and Board of Trustees Chair David Trainor.

“[C]ontinuing would not be responsible to the students, faculty, and staff who depend on us,” the leaders wrote. “We tried to find a way.”

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education posted a notice earlier in the month that determined Anna Maria may have insufficient finances to continue operating for the next 18 months, Worcester Business Journal reports.

Federal records show that total fall enrollment at Anna Maria had dropped from 1,441 in 2020 to 1,332 in 2024. Enrollment was about half of the average of similarly sized institutions in the state.

College leadership said the state department’s assessment “reflects both longstanding structural challenges in the higher education sector and the particular impact of enrollment declines on a small, tuition-dependent institution.”

Regis College announced that it has partnered with Anna Maria to support students who are not due to graduate this spring, offering teach-out plans, transfer pathways, and student support services. Regis is over 40 miles from Anna Maria, CBS News reports.

Massachusetts has become a frequent site of college closures this year, including Hampshire College and the Labouré College of Healthcare. At least 24 institutions closed in the state between 2014 and 2022, Worcester Business Journal reports.

Year founded: 1946

Hampshire College (Mass.)

The fall 2026 semester will be Hampshire College’s last as the 60-year-old Massachusetts liberal arts institution shuts down under the weight of declining enrollment, accreditation pressures and other financial struggles.

Campus leadership had “worked aggressively” over the last several years to increase enrollment, refinance debt and generate new revenue from selling land, the college said in an April 14 statement signed by President Jenn Chrisler, Board of Trustees Chair Jose Fuentes and chair-elect
Elle Chan.

“We left no stone unturned, no solution unexplored, and made many sacrifices along the way,” the statement says. “We are faced with the clear, heartbreaking reality that progress on each of these three key factors has fallen far short of what we had hoped.”

The college, founded in 1965 and which nearly closed in 2019, lacks the resources “to sustain full operations and meet our regulatory responsibilities.” Hampshire needed to substantially grow enrollment or face “extraordinary cuts” to educate its study body.

The college will use its dwindling financial resources to help students complete their undergraduate degrees at Hampshire or another institution.

Last month, Hampshire’s accreditor, the New England Commission of Higher Education, threatened to put the college on probation or withdraw its accreditation over missed enrollment goals, a failed land sale and a $21 million bond debt, MassLive reported.

The college enrolled only 168 new students in 2025, well short of its goal of 300. It was home to 750 full-time students compared to about 500 in 2022, MassLive reported.

Year founded: 1965

Labouré College of Healthcare (Mass.)

Labouré College of Healthcare announced on Feb. 12 that it will transition its nursing programs to Curry College and cease all academic operations on Aug. 31. Both institutions are in Milton, Massachusetts, outside Boston.

The Labouré Center for Advancing Healthcare Opportunity will open this fall at Curry College’s School of Nursing and Health Science beginning.

Labouré College faced “persistent financial and enrollment challenges and regulatory hurdles,” President Lily Hsu said in a message on the institution’s website.

Labouré students still working on their degrees will begin taking courses at Curry College in the fall.

Lourdes University

Lourdes University, in Sylvania, Ohio, will close at the end of the academic year, as many traditional, small private institutions have over the past two years.

The Catholic university’s board of trustees described declining enrollment and “mounting financial pressures” as the two main culprits for the closing, according to a public letter released on Wednesday.

Lourdes’ operating model as a “traditional undergraduate institution with athletic programs… can no longer be sustained,” the letter read. “These realities, not unique to Lourdes, have spurred thoughtful discussions about our future.

William Bisset stepped down as president following the closure. The Sisters of St. Francis, which have long subsidized Lourdes since its founding in 1958, appointed Nancy Linenkugel as the 13th and final president.

As of 2025, Lourdes enrolled 964 students, 759 of whom were undergraduates, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The university had prioritized student-athletes to elevate its enrollment in recent years. More than 72% of Lourdes’ undergraduate population were student-athletes, data from the Department of Education reveals.

Year founded: 1958

California College of the Arts

California College of the Arts President David Howse stated on Jan. 13 that the college would “wind down” its current operations, according to a public letter on the institution’s website.

Struggling with declining enrollment and a “persistent structural deficit,” the college had previously received a $20 million state grant from the state of California and additional aid from private donors. However, the art institution’s tuition-driven model proved unsustainable.

“Recognizing that lasting financial independence is out of reach given our current constraints, we have pursued conversations with potential partners over the last year,” Howse wrote.

California College of the Arts Institute at Vanderbilt will open the next academic year. It plans to preserve the closing institution’s archives and maintain its contemporary arts center while serving as Vanderbilt’s West Coast hub for alumni engagement and academic programming.

“At the same time, we recognize the enduring contributions of the California College of the Arts and are committed to honoring and celebrating the creative legacy the CCA community has built over more than a century,” Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said.

Year founded: 1907

The college closings and mergers of 2025

At least 16 college campuses closed in 2025 as the traditional business models of higher education grew more volatile.

Small private regional institutions dependent on tuition revenue are the most likely demographic to shut down.

While nearly half of the campuses to close this year were public institutions from the Penn State Commonwealth system, they collectively represented less than 4% of all Penn State students, faculty and staff.

At least 12 institutions merged, consolidated or were acquired. The leaders involved are seeking to better align academic offerings with evolving workforce needs.

Martin University (Ind.)

Martin University closed on Dec. 31 after its accreditor “directed the university to cease operations,” according to a letter published by the Board of Trustees.

The board cited increased costs, declining enrollment and rising debt for its announcement, which have become common pain points for small private colleges that have struggled and closed.

One graduate student set to finish in the spring semester said she has been unable to reach anyone about graduation or accessing her transcripts to potentially transfer. Read more.

Year founded: 1977

Acquisition: Augustana College and Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences (Ill.)

Augustana College announced on Dec. 22 that it plans to acquire Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The move aims to expand Augustana’s academic programming amid emerging labor shortages in nursing and other health professions across Rock Island and the broader Quad Cities region in Illinois and Iowa.

“Together we’re strengthening education in a way that’s stable, thoughtful and built for the future and really connects to Augustana’s strengths,” Andrea Talentino, president of Augustana College, said at a news conference.

The 165-year-old liberal arts school is “prioritizing as seamless a transition” as it helps acclimate students and faculty, Talentino said.

Augustana aims to maintain Trinity’s relationship with UnityPoint Health, a nearby hospital network, to provide students with essential clinical experience, while also providing the hospital with a stable workforce pipeline.

The change in ownership is set for June 30, pending approval from accreditors and other regulators, WQAD reports.

Merger: Pacific University and Willamette University (Ore.)

Pacific University and Willamette University signaled plans on Dec. 11 to merge to create Oregon’s largest private university.

Provisionally named the University of the Northwest, the new institution would consolidate resources to provide undergraduate and graduate programs in liberal arts, medicine, data science, law, the fine arts and more.

The merger would purportedly preserve the names and unique identities of each university’s schools and colleges while expanding curricular offerings to students at each institution. Read more here.

Sterling College (Vt.)

Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, announced on Nov. 12 that it would conclude its associate’s and bachelor’s programs at the end of the spring semester.

Sterling is a federal work college, offering students on-the-job training while they earn degrees. In 2018, nearly 50% of Sterling College’s 2018 graduates earned a credential without accruing any debt.

The liberal arts college focused exclusively on environmental education. More than half of all campus electricity is generated by solar power.

Enrollment at Sterling was designed to be extremely small, capped at 120 students. However, enrollment has declined in recent years and now sits at less than 40 students this semester, Seven Days reports.

“We dug a hole, and it was an expensive hole for a small college,” said Scott Thomas, president of Sterling.

Year founded: 1958

Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, Illinois)

Trinity Christian College near Chicago will shut down at the end of the 2025-26 academic year due to “significant and rapidly evolving financial challenges.”

“There is no sustainable path forward for our beloved institution,” Acting President Jeanine Mozie said in a message to the college on Nov. 4.

Post-COVID financial losses, persistent operating deficits, a decline in enrollment and increased competition for students, and a shift in donor giving were given as reasons for the closure in an FAQ on the college’s website.

Trinity Christian College has so far reached teach-out agreements with three other colleges to accept students’ transfer credits.

Year founded: 1959

Merger: Elon University & Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.)

Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte announced on Sept. 16 their plans to merge. By the summer of 2026, the former is expected to operate Queens alongside its existing leaders.

Elon has acted as a “North Star” for Queens University as the city of Charlotte’s role in higher education has expanded, said Jesse Cureton, acting president of Queens.

Charlotte’s metro population is projected to grow by 21% between 2020 and 2034, outpacing averages across the Carolinas. At the same time, the region is facing growing demand in certificate and graduate programs to help fulfill job shortages across healthcare and law.

“[I]n today’s higher education environment, collaboration is not only smart, but essential,” Cureton wrote.

The King’s College (N.Y.)

Manhattan’s sole evangelical college announced on its website on July 14 that it will permanently close after failing to meet a deadline set by New York’s education department to demonstrate an adequate plan to resume operations.

Showing significant signs of financial duress, The King’s College cancelled classes indefinitely by fall 2023. Despite significantly reducing its staff and losing accreditation, the college vowed to resume operations through collaboration with strategic partners.

No formal plan or partnership materialized, prompting remaining leadership at The King’s College to announce its permanent closing.

Year founded: 1938

Siena Heights University (Mich.)

Siena Heights University, a small private Catholic college in Adrian, Michigan, announced on June 30 that it will be closing at the end of the 2026 academic year.

Like many other institutions that have closed in the past year, Siena Heights faced mounting financial difficulties brought on by demographic changes, rising costs and declining enrollment, President Douglas Palmer said in a video announcement.

“It is just not possible to continue beyond this next year. We’re not the first college and university to close, nor will we be the last.”

Total enrollment has dropped by a third over the past decade, according to IPEDS data gathered between 2024 and 2014. About 2,300 students enrolled in the 2023-2024 school year, according to MI School Data.

The private Catholic institution will be 107 years old at the time of its expected closure at the end of the next school year. Read more.

Year founded: 1919

Seven campuses across Penn State University

The Penn State Board of Trustees successfully voted on May 22 to approve the university’s plans to close seven of its 20 college campuses to cut down on growing financial challenges and declining enrollment. The campuses due to close will affect 3.4% of the system’s faculty and more than 500 of its total staff.

In a 25 to 8 vote, the board approved the administration’s recommendation to close Penn State’s DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses.

The university first began to review closing 12 of its campuses in February, according to internal records obtained by Spotlight PA. However, the 13 campuses slated to remain open survived due to their enrollment sizes, location among growing populations and revenue generation.

“We aren’t running a business,” wrote current and former board members and alumni opposed to the decision. “We are an educational institution charged with fulfilling a mission and promise made in the mid-19th century.”

Campuses on the chopping block will close in two academic years and will continue to accept enrollment in fall 2025. Students who haven’t graduated by the 2026-27 academic year will be counseled on degree completion options and pathways to other Penn State campuses.

“I know that change of this magnitude is tremendously difficult for our students and employees who learn and work on the campuses that will close,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “I want to underscore that we have and are continuing to develop extensive transition plans to support all members of the Penn State community directly affected by these changes.”

Bacone College (Okla.)

A federal judge agreed to move Bacone College into Chapter 7 bankruptcy following “gross mismanagement” by college officials, TheStreet reports. As a result, Bacone, the oldest Native American institution of higher learning in the country, turned over its keys and physical control of the campus on May 21. 

Originally named “Indian University,” Bacone was founded in 1880, before Oklahoma’s admittance to the United States. By fall 2023, however, student enrollment had shrunk to 106 students, less than a tenth of its enrollment in 2010. Bacone suspended classes beginning the next semester.

Previous efforts to earn tribal college status—which would have granted the institution more federal funding—were denied.

Amid growing debt, the college filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, allowing for reorganization, in June 2024. A year later, however, a U.S. bankruptcy trustee filed a motion to convert the case to Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which demands the liquidation and distribution of a debtor’s assets to its creditors. In this case, the creditor is a previous contractor that filed a lawsuit in 2021, alleging Bacone owed over $1 million in services, Muskogee Phoenix reports.

A judge eventually granted the trustee’s motion, spelling the end of Bacone College.

Year founded: 1880

Limestone University (S.C.)

Limestone University’s governing board announced on April 29 that it had failed to raise enough money to keep its doors open and would be closing at the end of spring 2025.

The private college told the campus community two weeks ago that it could face the threat of closing if it didn’t raise $6 million in the short term to continue operations. Even if it succeeded, the administration would have needed to secure a long-term solution to fix its $20 million deficit.

After failing to secure the necessary emergency funds and announcing its demise, faculty voted to disinvite Limestone’s president, CFO and members of the board of trustees from its final commencement ceremony, FOX Carolina reports. The motion set forth before the unanimous decision described a lack of transparency, financial management and proper governance from executive leadership.

Limestone’s enrollment dropped from 3,214 students in fall 2014 to 1,600 students currently, according to a university statement.

The college closing will end Limestone’s 180 years of operation: 1845-2025.

St. Andrews University (N.C.)

St. Andrews University President and Provost Tarun Malik wrote the campus community on April 25 that the college would be closing at the end of the spring semester. “[W]e have reached a point where financial sustainability is no longer attainable.”

St. Andrews traces its roots back to 1896 to the Flora Macdonald College for Women in Red Springs. Financial instability over the past two decades led the private Presbyterian university to merge with Florida-based Webber International University in 2011. However, stagnant enrollment hovering around 700 to 900 students annually could not keep the school afloat, The Chronicle of the Horse reports.

Over 30 schools have engaged in discussions with St. Andrews for teach-out agreements.

Consolidation: East Georgia State College & Georgia Southern University

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia voted today to consolidate East Georgia State College within Georgia Southern University on April 15. It is part of the system’s ongoing efforts, first approved in 2012, to consolidate its then-35 colleges and universities.

East Georgia State will retain its identity while becoming a part of Georgia Southern, according to a statement. “The consolidation will enable [the university system] to better serve students, broaden academic programs offered in Georgia’s Lower Coastal Plain region and reinvest savings into academics to improve student success.”

Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero will preside over the consolidation.

Merger: Villanova University & Rosemont College

Villanova University announced on March 31 that it had entered a merger agreement with Rosemont College.

Rosemont, which enrolled less than 800 students in fall 2023, will be absorbed by the larger private Catholic research university over the next several years and will eventually become “Villanova University, Rosemont Campus.”

Since 2020, total fall enrollment at Rosemont has been less than half the median of eight other comparatively sized institutions across the state, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education System. While Villanova has suffered some enrollment decline, its purchase of the now-defunct Cabrini University campus has poised the institution for a sizable increase, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Jim Cawley, president of Rosemont, celebrated the move to avoid closing the 104-year-old college. “We are committed to securing the best possible options for our students, faculty and staff and believe this merger with Villanova offers the best opportunity to ensure that the Rosemont College history and legacy endures.”

Rosemont students who graduate by 2028 will still receive a Rosemont degree. The remaining students will have the chance to transfer to Villanova’s College of Professional Studies.

Acquisition: Seattle University & Cornish College of the Arts (Wash.)

Cornish College of the Arts will soon add, “at Seattle University” to its title after the two institutions agreed to an acquisition on March 18.

Through an asset contribution,” the private art college will transfer “substantially all” assets to Seattle University including its facilities, real estate holdings, name and intellectual property while absorbing its liabilities, according to a university statement. The transaction should be finalized by May 31, pending regulatory approvals and other conditions.

Beginning fall 2025, Seattle University promises transferring Cornish students a seamless transition. Students will continue their classes on the same campus, have access to its support services and programming and receive a Seattle University degree.

While Seattle stated it’s “in the process of reviewing and making decisions on the hiring of faculty and staff” from Cornish University, 351 employees have since received notices about being laid off, KIRO 7 reports.

Merger: Kean University & New Jersey City University

The New Jersey City University Board of Trustees voted on a resolution to merge with Kean University on March 6.

The largest public university in Jersey City pursued the merger following declining enrollment and financial mismanagement by a previous president, according to the state comptroller’s office.

By avoiding a potential college closing, the university will most likely change its name to “Kean Jersey City,” according to a report from Kean University detailing the merger.

Northland College (Wisconsin)

Despite recent attempts to save Northland College from financial exigency, the Board of Trustees announced on February 19 that the 133-year-old school will close at the end of the academic year.

“My immediate concern today is to address the impact of this closure on Northland’s students,” interim president Barb Lundberg said in a statement. She assured the community that they will be able to finish their semester’s coursework, and Northland’s May commencement ceremony will be held. In the meantime, the college will provide students with academic and financial advisors to assist them with transferring elsewhere.

Northland College has operated at a deficit for eight years, The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. With just nine majors in the 2024-25 school year, it cut over 75% of its majors, reduced enrollment to 350 students and let go of staff to raise revenue. A record $1.5 million fundraising effort provided by over one thousand donations saved the school from closing last spring.

“Despite the collaborative efforts of the entire Northland family, we no longer have the resources needed to navigate the economic and demographic storms endangering small, liberal arts institutions today,” said Ted Bristol, chair of the college’s board of trustees.

Year founded: 1892

Anatomy of a college closure

Small private regional institutions dependent on tuition revenue are the most likely candidates to end up on this list. The most common explanation is as follows:

• Regional demographic changes brewing before the pandemic begins to dwindle the pool of traditional-aged college students available in a given region. Lower enrollment breeds lower tuition revenue.
• The pandemic steepens downward trending enrollment and shortening administrators’ window to adjust operational strategy. Heightening inflation exacerbates financial issues.
• The institution attempts to mitigate its growing budget deficit through a combination of solutions: selling assets, requesting loans, cutting staff and/or academic programs.
• Those that continue to face financial exigency may escape a closure through a merger or acquisition.
• If not, the institution shuts its doors. Centuries of serving higher education erased.

The college closings and mergers of 2024

A flurry of colleges and universities have shut their doors following the pandemic, and 2024 didn’t show signs of slowing down.

Cornish College of the Arts (Washington)

Seattle University, a private Jesuit university serving over 7,000 students, announced it acquired Cornish College of the Arts on Dec. 5. It will slowly absorb its administrative support operations over the next year, pending review by their shared accreditation body and the Department of Education.

The small art college will be renamed Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, and it will retain its current campus.

California State University Maritime Academy

The California State University Board of Trustees voted on Nov. 21 to merge California State University Maritime Academy with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo—despite being spread apart by 250 miles. The two CSU System campuses will be fully integrated by fall 2026, and Maritime Academy will be renamed Cal Poly, Solano Campus.

The only public university on this list, enrollment at Maritime Academy has fallen by 31% since the 2016-17 academic year, Cal Matters reports. The system will downsize to 22 universities.

Ursuline College (Ohio)

Ursuline College in September signed a letter of intent to merge with the larger, Pennsylvania-based Gannon University. The two institutions are currently in a due diligence phase; if completed, Gannon will become the largest Catholic university system in the region with campuses across three states (including Florida) boasting 6,000 students.

Pierce College (Penn.)

Pierce College signed an agreement on Aug. 14 to merge with Lackawanna College, a move that could potentially make the latter “the largest private, nonprofit, open enrollment institution” in Pennsylvania. Under the merger’s conditions, Pierce College would become a school under Lackawanna that could amplify a broader array of academic offerings for adult learners in the Philadelphia region.

Mount Mercy University (Iowa) 

St. Ambrose University has agreed to acquire Mount Mercy University through a strategic agreement signed Aug. 1. Renamed Mount Mercy Campus of St. Ambrose University, it will retain a separate campus and academic programs. The first stages of approval will begin summer of 2025.

Clarks Summit University (Penn.)

Clarks Summit University announced its closure leading up to the fall semester on July 1 after “hav[ing] exhausted every viable solution to bridge a significant financial gap.”

Year founded: 1932

Eastern Nazarene College (Mass.)

Eastern Nazarene College announced on June 25 that it would not be accepting an incoming class for the fall semester and plans to continue serving students on track to graduate by the end of the year. The state’s education department estimates it will close by the end of the academic year.

Year founded: 1900

Union Institute & University (Ohio)

Union Institute & University announced it would close just nine days before its intended date on June 30. The online university blamed other institutions’ adoption of online learning modalities at the onset of the pandemic for stripping away its enrollment base.

However, Union seems to have been struggling before the pandemic, WCPO reports. Full-time student enrollment dropped 69% between 2017 and 2021. In 2023, it failed to pay employees on time and was evicted from its Walnut Hills Campus.

Union was the only Hispanic-serving institution in Ohio.

Year founded: 1964

Correction: An earlier iteration stated that Union Institute & University closed due to “pandemic-related challenges.”

Pittsburgh Technical College

Pittsburgh Technical College told its community on June 10 that it would cease academic instruction due to declining enrollment, market pressures and inflation.

Year founded: 1946

University of the Arts (Penn.) 

The University of the Arts Board of Directors voted on June 1 to close the institution. Faculty filed a class-action lawsuit against the university for only providing the community a seven-day notice.

Year founded: 1976

Marymount Manhattan College (N.Y.)

Marymount Manhattan College announced on May 29 its intentions to merge with Northeastern University and change its name to Northeastern University – New York. While the acquisition’s timeline is subject to federal approvals, Northeastern plans to continue operating Marymount’s performing arts and prison education programs. The remaining academic curriculum will be assimilated, and Marymount students will be automatically enrolled at Northeastern.

“Recognizing the significant headwinds facing small liberal arts colleges, MMC’s Board decided to pursue this path to ensure the continuation of MMC’s student-centered approach to education for generations to come,” said Abby Fiorella, chair of Marymount’s Board of Trustees.

Delaware College of Art and Design

Delaware College of Art and Design announced on May 23 that it would not be offering classes for the upcoming fall semester. Aside the usual culprits ailing small private universities, administrative leaders also cited issues with last year’s FAFSA rollout, NBC Philadelphia reports.

Year founded: 1997

Wells College (N.Y.)

Wells College announced its decision to close after the spring semester on April 29, citing enrollment and budgetary challenges. The late notice left newly admitted students scrambling to recover their deposits, according to The Hechinger Report, which found that the college was aware of its budgetary challenges for at least a year.

Year founded: 1868

University of Saint Katherine (Calif.)

The University of Saint Katherine announced that it would be closing on April 25. The day President Frank Papatheofanis announced the college closing was also when Saint Katherine ceased employment and operations. It caught students by such surprise that its beach volleyball team was on its way to the NAIA state championships.

Asked why the university gave such short notice of its impending closure, Papatheofanis cited athletics’ inflated budget and a growing inability to pay faculty, NBC San Diego reports. Employees sued the university at least five times in the past four years due to breach of contract/employment.

Year founded: 2011

Goddard College (Vt.)

Goddard College announced its closing on April 9 due to “inflationary pressures, demographic shifts and changing educational preferences,” according to a statement.

Founded: 1938

Oak Point University (Ill.)

After failing to secure an emergency $40 million loan from the state, Birmingham-Southern College announced on March 26 that it would close at the end of the spring semester.

Year founded: 1856

Fontbonne University (Mo.)

Fontbonne University announced on March 11 that it would close at the end of the summer term in 2025.  “After many years of declining enrollments and a shrinking endowment, the financial position of the university is no longer able to be sustained for the long term,” Nancy Blattner, the president of Fontbonne University, said in a video announcement to the community.

Year founded:1923

Notre Dame College (Ohio)

Facing $10 million in debt, the resignation of the college president and a failed attempt to merge with nearby Cleveland State University, Notre Dame College announced on Feb. 29 that it would close at the end of the spring semester.

Nine schools guaranteed admissions for the college’s remaining students with more than 60 credits completed.

Year founded: 1922

Cambridge College (Mass.)

Bay Path University acquired Cambridge College on Feb. 27 due to pandemic-related challenges, NEPM reports.

Year founded: 1971