2024 has seen extra school closures than final 12 months

As 2024 attracts to a detailed, it additionally marks the tip of an period for some establishments.

Altogether, not less than 16 nonprofit faculties and universities introduced closures this 12 months. Most have been small, personal, tuition-dependent establishments that lacked sturdy endowments. Many approached the closure course of in an orderly trend, winding down operations and educating out tutorial applications, however some shuttered abruptly, leaving college students within the lurch.

The quantity is barely increased than final 12 months, when 14 nonprofit establishments introduced closure; a fifteenth, the King’s Faculty, ended operations in 2023 however didn’t announce it was shutting down. Consultants count on school closures to extend considerably within the subsequent 5 years amid enrollment pressures, in accordance with analysis by the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Philadelphia.

This 12 months, seven of these headed for closure have been religiously affiliated and 4 have been situated in Pennsylvania—probably the most of any state. (Department campuses with out stand-alone identification numbers, that are utilized by the U.S. Division of Schooling’s Workplace of Postsecondary Schooling, should not included on this 12 months’s report.)

Officers most continuously cited monetary pressures and declining enrollment as the explanations for closure; rising working prices have been additionally a recurring theme. Some establishments attributed their enrollment struggles to particular elements, such because the troubled rollout of the Free Software for Federal Scholar Support. One blamed social points in downtown Portland, Ore., citing homelessness, crime and open drug use as contributing causes.

Inside Larger Ed has been monitoring institutional closures and mergers all 12 months. Right here’s our recap, in chronological order, of the nonprofit establishments that introduced closures this 12 months. Given teach-out processes, some will stay open into 2025 as they wind down operations.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Positive Arts

The Philadelphia artwork faculty introduced in January that it could finish its diploma applications, making it the primary establishment in 2024 to announce its demise because of monetary pressures. Whereas the academy will formally shut on the finish of the 2024–25 tutorial 12 months, its museum will stay open.

Officers attributed the choice to finish tutorial choices to declining enrollment and rising prices, noting that they had unsuccessfully sought partnerships to maintain diploma applications alive.

Whereas in previous years PAFA enrolled about 200 college students, in 2022 the pinnacle depend fell to only over 100, in accordance with the most recent federal information. Officers stated ending tutorial applications would save $1 million yearly—a necessity given the establishment’s $3 million deficit.

Notre Dame Faculty

After unsuccessfully pursuing a strategic partnership with Cleveland State College, the small Roman Catholic school in Ohio closed on the finish of the spring semester.

Officers pointed to declining enrollment, demographic challenges, rising working prices and steep debt once they introduced Notre Dame’s closure in February.

Enrollment had fallen by greater than half, from 2,281 a decade in the past, in accordance with the Division of Schooling’s Built-in Postsecondary Schooling Knowledge System, to about 1,050 lately, native media reported.

Fontbonne College

The Roman Catholic establishment in Missouri was among the many first to announce plans to shut early this 12 months, simply after celebrating its centennial in 2023. Officers cited deteriorating funds and shrinking enrollment.

Like Notre Dame, Fontbonne’s enrollment fell by greater than half over a decade, from practically 2,000 college students in 2013 to 874 final fall, in accordance with officers.

Japanese Gateway Group Faculty

Beset by authorized and financial points, the Ohio group school introduced in March it could shut, mere months after it shuttered a profitable however controversial on-line program.

At one level earlier than its on-line program was terminated, EGCC enrolled 40,000 college students.

Numerous elements contributed to EGCC’s demise, together with a prolonged battle with the Division of Schooling over a “free school” program for labor union members. This system boosted enrollment however attracted scrutiny from the accreditor and state lawmakers for enrolling a excessive variety of out-of-state college students, in addition to for alleged mismanagement of monetary assist funds. Legislation enforcement additionally investigated the faculty for alleged monetary irregularities.

Excluding department campuses, EGCC is the one freestanding public establishment within the U.S. to announce a closure this 12 months.

Birmingham-Southern Faculty

After a failed legislative try to avoid wasting the personal Christian establishment in Alabama, officers introduced in March that Birmingham-Southern would shut simply two months later.

Birmingham-Southern Faculty

The closure was introduced on by a mixture of declining enrollment and rising prices, in addition to errors former officers made greater than a decade in the past. In 2010, the faculty found that it had improperly calculated monetary assist awards by thousands and thousands of {dollars}. Across the similar time, directors tapped BSC’s endowment for constructing initiatives, depleting reserves.

Birmingham-Southern introduced in late 2022 that with out state intervention, it could be compelled to shut, prompting lawmakers to cross laws to create a public mortgage program for struggling personal faculties. Nonetheless, State Treasurer Younger Boozer III denied BSC’s mortgage software—although it was tailored for the faculty and drafted by alumni within the Legislature. Boozer argued that BSC didn’t have enough collateral for the mortgage and was a “horrible credit score danger.”

The Legislature later nullified the mortgage program.

With out the anticipated state lifeline, BSC closed abruptly. The BSC campus stays in the marketplace after a deal to promote the location to Miles Faculty for an undisclosed sum fell by means of.

Oak Level College

Going through a steep drop in enrollment and a monetary deficit, the small personal establishment in Illinois introduced in March that it could shut on the finish of the spring semester.

Enrollment on the well being companies–oriented college plummeted following the coronavirus pandemic, from 860 college students in fall 2019 to 429 in fall 2022, IPEDS information reveals.

Goddard Faculty

The spate of spring closures continued into April, when the small personal school in Vermont introduced it could shut down on the finish of Could.

Goddard had struggled financially for years as its enrollment dwindled. On the time of the closure announcement, school officers put enrollment at 220 college students—down from greater than 1,900 within the Nineteen Seventies. However at the same time as just lately as fall 2014, the faculty had 538 college students, in accordance with IPEDS, which means Goddard’s enrollment fell by half in lower than a decade.

College of Saint Katherine

One other personal establishment squeezed by monetary pressures, the College of Saint Katherine introduced in April it was submitting for chapter and shutting on the finish of the spring semester. It had a brief tenure: The Christian college in San Marcos, Calif., solely launched in 2010.

In fall 2022, USK enrolled 232 college students, in accordance with IPEDS—a wholesome enchancment over the 137 who enrolled in fall 2017. But it surely wasn’t sufficient to reverse the monetary struggles of USK, which operated at a deficit its final two fiscal years.

Wells Faculty

The closure of Wells Faculty shocked college, employees and college students when officers introduced in April that the 156-year-old establishment in New York would shutter on the finish of the spring semester.

Although the abrupt closure got here as a shock, Wells had been shedding college students for years, regardless of its shift from a girls’s school to a coeducational mannequin in 2005, which offered a short enrollment increase. By fall 2022, enrollment was all the way down to 357 college students, in accordance with IPEDS information.

Wells Faculty

Critics have alleged mismanagement performed an element within the closure.

Oregon Faculty of Oriental Drugs

A distinct segment personal establishment centered on acupuncture, natural remedies and different various healthcare approaches, the Portland-based establishment introduced in Could that it was closing.

Officers on the small school, which enrolled 160 college students in fall 2022, in accordance with IPEDS, blamed monetary points “and contraction in Chinese language drugs training,” in addition to social points within the metropolis of Portland. Particularly, they pointed to an “improve in crime, drug use and other people residing unsheltered” close to OCOM’s campus, which “gutted the faculty constructing’s worth.”

OCOM “misplaced half its pupil physique within the final 4 years,” in accordance with the closure announcement.

Delaware Faculty of Artwork and Design

When officers introduced in June that the Wilmington-based school was closing in a matter of weeks, they cited the same old monetary pressures and declining enrollment. However additionally they famous “sudden points with the rollout of the brand new Free Software for Federal Scholar Support.”

The small school had struggled to generate income, working at a deficit for a lot of the final decade as enrollment dwindled to 129 college students in fall 2022, in accordance with federal information. However officers indicated that the ultimate straw seemed to be the problematic launch of the simplified FAFSA, which was fraught with technical glitches and delays that induced complications for households attempting to navigate monetary assist.

Some consultants have attributed FAFSA points to a decline in enrollment of 18-year-old freshmen throughout the nation.

College of the Arts

Mysterious monetary challenges—which stay unexplained months later—sank the artwork faculty in Pennsylvania, which introduced on June 1 that it could shut inside a matter of days.

The personal college, situated on prime actual property in Philadelphia, has supplied few particulars on what drove it out of enterprise. However officers famous the establishment had “been in a fragile monetary state, with a few years of declining enrollments, declining revenues, and rising bills.”

Officers referred vaguely to a weakened money place and “vital, unanticipated bills.”

College of the Arts officers additionally left college students in limbo, canceling a city corridor concerning the closure on the final minute. That prompted its accreditor, the Center States Fee on Larger Schooling, to step in and lead an data session together with the Pennsylvania Division of Schooling, the U.S. Division of Schooling and the administration agency finishing up the closure.

Whereas Temple initially expressed curiosity in buying UArts, that plan was later dropped.

Pittsburgh Technical Faculty

The closure of Pittsburgh Technical Faculty got here after months of acrimony between staff and President Alicia Harvey-Smith, whom they accused of mismanaging the two-year establishment.

PTC officers pointed to declining enrollment and inflation—in addition to “altering views of upper training” and “orchestrated assaults in opposition to the establishment”—in a June closure announcement. In an e-mail to Inside Larger Ed, Harvey-Smith laid the blame on “disgruntled former and present staff.”

Nonetheless, college members, who voted no confidence within the president final 12 months, allege that she mismanaged school funds—together with by spending $32,000 in school funds to pay a advertising agency to write down and edit a guide on enrollment administration revealed underneath her title.

Sources informed Inside Larger Ed that enrollment stood at slightly below 700 college students earlier than PTC closed, a steep dive from 1,744 college students in fall 2019, which was Harvey-Smith’s first 12 months.

Critics additionally blamed PTC’s board for failing to cease a runaway monetary slide.

Japanese Nazarene Faculty

Citing monetary pressures, the small, personal Christian school in Massachusetts introduced in June that it could shut.

Within the closure announcement, officers famous “vital monetary headwinds lately,” including that the board and a number of presidents had “pursued quite a few alternate options to closure” earlier than they determined to stop operations.

IPEDS reveals a head depend of 541 college students in fall 2022, down from 699 in fall 2020.

Union Institute & College

After greater than a 12 months of extreme monetary points—together with commonly lacking payroll, being evicted for failing to pay hire on its Cincinnati headquarters and dropping entry to federal monetary assist because of alleged mismanagement of funds—the Ohio establishment introduced its closure in June.

Union was additionally hit with a $4.3 million fantastic from the Schooling Division for alleged mismanagement of federal pupil assist {dollars}, and it confronted a state investigation over labor points.

Although the closure wasn’t official till this summer season, Union had paused instructional exercise and didn’t supply any courses within the latter a part of 2023 or all of 2024. Undergraduate courses have been final supplied in summer season 2023, and the final courses for doctoral college students have been in fall 2023.

Union was the one school in Ohio designated as a Hispanic-serving establishment.

Clarks Summit College

Officers on the small, personal Baptist establishment in Pennsylvania famous tough “monetary circumstances” once they introduced in July the college would shut abruptly.

The closure announcement got here roughly a month after Clarks Summit furloughed all of its staff, with directors working without spending a dime, in an effort to avoid wasting prices. Nonetheless, sustained enrollment losses and monetary challenges proved insurmountable as its head depend fell from 1,100 college students in fall 2012 to 552 in fall 2022, in accordance with federal information.

Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Partnerships

Whereas some establishments closed, others launched into a path ahead with a accomplice. In lots of instances, these preparations have been forged as strategic partnerships, with faculties stopping in need of utilizing the phrase “merger.” However some seemed to be acquisitions, with bigger companions absorbing smaller establishments.

College of Redlands/Woodbury College

In January, the 2 personal California establishments introduced plans to merge after quietly signing a letter of intent in December.

Woodbury, the smaller of the 2 (with 829 college students in fall 2022, in accordance with federal information), has struggled financially lately, whereas Redlands has been steady regardless of enrollment declines; in 2022, Redlands enrolled 3,460 full-time college students, IPEDS reveals, down from 4,956 in fall 2012.

Redlands has established a number of department campuses lately, starting with its 2019 acquisition of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, increasing its attain throughout California.

Bay Path College/Cambridge Faculty

February introduced additional consolidation when Bay Path College in western Massachusetts introduced it had acquired Cambridge Faculty, situated throughout the state in Boston. Each personal, nonprofit establishments are centered on profession training.

The deal had been within the works since final summer season.

College of Findlay/Bluffton College

Separated by 20 miles, the 2 personal, religiously affiliated establishments in northwest Ohio introduced in March that that they had reached an settlement on a merger.

Whereas merging their operations, Findlay will stay affiliated with Church buildings of God, Basic Convention, whereas Bluffton College plans to keep up its ties to the Mennonite Church USA.

Pending NCAA approval, their athletic applications will even stay separate, with Findlay competing in NCAA Division II because the Oilers and the Bluffton Beavers collaborating in NCAA Division III play.

St. Ambrose College/Mount Mercy College

In Could, the 2 Roman Catholic establishments, situated about 80 miles aside in Iowa, introduced they have been pursuing a “strategic mixture.”

The deal is predicted to be finalized in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

The pair “will [then] be absolutely mixed underneath St. Ambrose with distinct campuses, instructional choices and intercollegiate athletic applications in each Davenport and Cedar Rapids,” in accordance with the announcement. The Mount Mercy title can be retained, with the built-in website in Cedar Rapids rebranded as Mount Mercy Campus of St. Ambrose College.

Northeastern College/Marymount Manhattan Faculty

The merger introduced in Could will see Boston-based Northeastern take up a campus in New York Metropolis, extending Northeastern’s already giant footprint to 14 campuses worldwide. Since 2011, the college has expanded aggressively and now has campuses in California, Miami, London and elsewhere.

Photograph illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Larger Ed | Marymount Manhattan Faculty | Northeastern College

Whereas MMC has skilled enrollment declines lately, it stays financially steady. However given difficult headwinds, officers stated the faculty’s governing board noticed alternatives to develop its signature applications within the artistic and performing arts by means of a merger.

California State College Maritime Academy/California Polytechnic State College, San Luis Obispo

Officers introduced in June that the system had beneficial the “integration” of the 2 establishments, a plan the CSU Board of Trustees formally accredited final month.

System officers famous that combining operations, sources and governance would offer “a long-term answer to Cal Maritime’s untenable fiscal circumstances.” With 804 college students, Cal Maritime is the smallest school within the system and has struggled with enrollment just lately.

Lackawanna Faculty/Peirce Faculty

Situated roughly two hours aside, the 2 personal establishments in Pennsylvania, which share a concentrate on grownup learners, introduced plans to merge in August.

Lackawanna is primarily a two-year school with restricted bachelor’s levels, whereas Peirce provides two- and four-year levels and a few grasp’s applications and graduate certificates as effectively. Given enrollment challenges throughout Pennsylvania, leaders of the 2 establishments informed Inside Larger Ed they noticed the association as a chance to develop and be stronger collectively.

Going ahead, if the merger earns regulatory approval, the 2 faculties will bear the title of Lackawanna, which has had extra steady enrollment and funds lately.

Keystone Faculty/Washington Institute for Schooling and Analysis

Struggling Keystone introduced a merger settlement in August that may see it be part of forces with the fledgling assume tank in D.C.

Keystone can be a subsidiary of WIER, in accordance with the merger announcement.

Nonetheless, Keystone faces quite a few challenges past regulatory approvals of the merger. Final month, its accreditor, MSCHE, alleged that the faculty didn’t adjust to varied requirements—together with in areas comparable to governance and finance—and will lose accreditation by Dec. 31. Keystone stays accredited whereas the faculty appeals the choice by MSCHE.

Earlier this 12 months, MSCHE warned that Keystone was “in peril of imminent closure.”

College of Texas at San Antonio/College of Texas Well being Science Middle at San Antonio

The College of Texas system introduced in August it’ll merge the 2 establishments into one.

The merger will mix UTSA, a big analysis college with greater than 34,000 college students, and a health-focused establishment that enrolls about 3,500 college students, in accordance with federal information. The merger will create the third-largest analysis college in Texas, in accordance with officers.

Ursuline Faculty/Gannon College

The 2 Catholic establishments, situated underneath 100 miles aside, introduced a strategic partnership in September.

Gannon is the bigger and extra financially steady of the 2, enrolling 4,665 college students in fall 2022 in comparison with 950 for Ursuline, federal information reveals. Officers famous within the announcement that Gannon, which additionally has a campus in Florida, had been trying to develop its operations, whereas Ursuline had been looking for a partnership with a bigger establishment.

The transfer appears akin to an acquisition, with an FAQ web page noting that “Gannon College will change the Ursuline Sisters as the only real member of the Ursuline Faculty Company.”

Penn State Legislation/Penn State Dickinson Legislation

Pennsylvania State College is combining its two individually accredited regulation faculties into one.

The college cut up Penn State, which is situated on the flagship campus in State Faculty, and Penn State Dickinson Legislation, in Carlisle, a decade in the past, however officers backtracked on the transfer this fall. Penn State attributed the transfer to enrollment challenges, noting “a particularly aggressive market for authorized training,” provided that there are 9 different regulation faculties within the state. The merger has raised issues amongst college about transparency, with some questioning the rationale behind the reunification.

The J.D. class of 2028 would be the first to attend the mixed regulation faculty.

Seattle College/Cornish Faculty

Earlier this month, officers on the two establishments introduced a merger that may have the a lot bigger college take up the small, fiscally challenged artwork faculty.

Seattle College enrolled practically 4,200 college students in fall 2022, in comparison with 458 for Cornish, in accordance with federal enrollment information. Cornish has confronted enrollment declines lately and declared monetary exigency in 2020 because it struggled to recuperate from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

The transfer comes after Seattle U introduced plans to create a brand new artwork museum in March.