The Greek Orthodox college in California cited declining enrollment and financial challenges as the reasons for closure. Founded in 2011, the university had fewer than 50 students enrolled in recent years, according to IPEDS data.
Officials said they explored partnerships and mergers to keep the university afloat but were ultimately unsuccessful. The bankruptcy filing came after the university’s accreditor placed it on probation for financial instability.
Southwestern Christian University
The Oklahoma institution, affiliated with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, announced in May that it would close at the end of the spring semester due to financial difficulties.
Officials said declining enrollment and mounting debt led to the closure decision. The university had struggled financially for years, and efforts to find a sustainable financial path forward were unsuccessful.
Southwestern Christian’s closure leaves just one remaining Pentecostal-affiliated college in the state, Southern Nazarene University.
Virginia Intermont College
The Virginia college, founded in 1884, announced in May that it would cease operations at the end of the academic year due to financial challenges.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. Virginia Intermont had struggled with financial stability for years, and efforts to attract more students and secure additional funding were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a long history for the college, which had faced financial difficulties and accreditation challenges in the past.
Corcoran College of Art and Design
The Washington, D.C., art school announced in June that it would close at the end of the summer term due to financial difficulties.
Officials said declining enrollment and mounting debt led to the closure decision. The college had struggled to maintain financial stability in recent years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a long history for the institution, which had been a prominent art school in the D.C. area for many years.
Grace College of Divinity
The North Carolina institution announced in July that it would close at the end of the summer term due to financial difficulties.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The college had faced financial challenges for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the college, which had a long history of providing theological education in the region.
Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School
The Pennsylvania institution announced in August that it would close at the end of the summer term due to financial challenges.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The college had faced financial difficulties for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the institution, which had a long history of providing theological education in the region.
College of St. Joseph in Rutland
The Vermont college announced in September that it would close at the end of the summer term due to financial difficulties.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The college had struggled with financial stability for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the college, which had a long history of providing education in the region.
Grace University
The Nebraska institution announced in October that it would close at the end of the fall term due to financial challenges.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The university had faced financial difficulties for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the university, which had a long history of providing education in the region.
Columbia College Chicago
The Illinois institution announced in November that it would close at the end of the fall term due to financial difficulties.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The college had struggled with financial stability for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the college, which had a long history of providing education in the region.
Johnson State College
The Vermont college announced in December that it would close at the end of the fall term due to financial challenges.
Officials cited declining enrollment and rising costs as the primary reasons for closure. The college had faced financial difficulties for years, and efforts to secure additional funding and partnerships were unsuccessful.
The closure marked the end of a chapter for the college, which had a long history of providing education in the region.
These closures represent the challenges facing many institutions in the current higher education landscape. As enrollment pressures, financial difficulties, and other factors continue to impact colleges and universities, more closures may be on the horizon in the coming years.
For example, the struggling University of the Arts in Pennsylvania found a merger partner in Drexel University, which announced in July that it would acquire UArts. The move was intended to preserve the legacy of the art school and its programs. Drexel plans to maintain UArts as a separate entity within its structure, allowing it to continue offering its unique arts-focused curriculum.
Similarly, Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts found a merger partner in Gordon College, another Christian institution in the state. The two colleges announced in August that they would merge, with Gordon College absorbing ENC’s assets and programs. The merger is expected to strengthen both institutions and provide more opportunities for students.
These mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships demonstrate that while some colleges may close, others are able to find a path forward by joining forces with a partner. It’s a reminder that the higher education landscape is constantly evolving, and institutions must be willing to adapt in order to survive and thrive.
program at Penn State Dickinson Law will be discontinued, and the campus will instead offer a Master of Laws (LL.M.) program in addition to the law school’s existing programs. The unified law school will be known as Penn State Law.
La clase de 2028 será la primera en asistir a la escuela de leyes combinada.
Universidad de Seattle/Colegio Cornish
A principios de este mes, los funcionarios de las dos instituciones anunciaron una fusión que implicará que la universidad mucho más grande absorba la pequeña escuela de arte con problemas financieros.
La Universidad de Seattle inscribió a casi 4.200 estudiantes en el otoño de 2022, en comparación con 458 de Cornish, según datos federales de inscripción. Cornish ha enfrentado disminuciones en la matrícula en los últimos años y declaró la necesidad de medidas financieras en 2020 mientras luchaba por recuperarse de los efectos de la pandemia de coronavirus.
El movimiento se produce después de que Seattle U anunciara planes para crear un nuevo museo de arte en marzo.