At least 15 nonprofit institutions announced closures amid a difficult year for higher education as the sector navigated rising operating costs and political minefields amid a presidential transition.
Colleges planning to close are a mix of public and private institutions, though all seven of those in the public sector were part of Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania was the only state that had more than one college announce closure plans in 2025. Of the other eight colleges that announced closures, five were religiously affiliated. Enrollment at colleges that announced closures ran from a high of nearly 2,000 students to a low of less than 100. Most had seen enrollment tanking for years while operating costs continued to rise, creating untenable deficits.
Here are the nonprofit colleges that announced closures this year:
- Northland College
- St. Andrews University
- Limestone University
- Bacone College
- Penn State–Dubois
- Penn State–Fayette
- Penn State–Mont Alto
- Penn State–New Kensington
- Penn State–Shenango
- Penn State–Wilkes-Barre
- Penn State–York
- Siena Heights University
- The King’s College
- Trinity Christian College
- Sterling College