One US college closing per week: Analysis

Colleges in the United States are struggling financially, so much so that about one college is shutting its door every week on average this year, an analysis found.

On June 10, the board of trustees at Pittsburgh Technical College, or PTC, announced that it will cease instruction at the end of the spring quarter, effective Aug 9.

In its news release, the school said it has faced declining enrollment, market pressures and inflation in recent years due in part to the pandemic and changing views of higher education.

More than a week prior to PTC's announcement, the University of the Arts, or UArts, in Philadelphia abruptly decided on the last day of May that it would close in a week on June 7, a sudden move that upset many students. The school cited similar reasons for the decision.

UArts had a history of nearly 150 years. Yet, its enrollment had been declining, down to about 1,300 in the fall of 2022 from about 1,900 in 2018.

The two colleges are just the most recent examples of the large trend that more colleges in the US are closing due to financial struggles.

Other schools that are either closed or set to close soon this year include the University of Saint Katherine in San Marcos, California; Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama; Hodges University in Fort Myers, Florida; Lincoln Christian University in Illinois; and Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in New Hampshire.

Increasing rate

An analysis by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association showed that last year, about two school closures happened per month on average. The rate has increased to one closing per week on average this year.

Enrollment decline is the major factor and hundreds of less desirable schools are expected to see significant enrollment declines in the coming years due to declining birthrates and smaller shares of students choosing a college path, said David Attis, managing director of research at education consulting company EAB, as reported by the Washington Post.

An EAB analysis of federal enrollment data estimated that by 2030,449 colleges are expected to see 25 percent decline in enrollment and 182 colleges are expected to see 50 percent decline. By 2040, an estimated 566 colleges are expected to see 25 percent decline and 247 are expected to see 50 percent.

Such closures often derail a student's plan for higher education and obtaining a degree. The study showed that 47.1 percent of students reenrolled in another postsecondary institution after they experienced a closure. It throws many students off-balance.

Drummer Machado, 18, went to UArts with a $32,000-a-year scholarship. Now, he does not know where he could find a place that offers that kind of money as well as the same curriculum, sense of community and ability to pursue gigs, The Associated Press reported.

Agencies contributed to this story.