College Closure Files
The College Closure Files is an occasional column chronicling why institutions shuttered and what lessons higher education leaders can glean from those shutdowns.
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Column // College Closure Files
Why Sterling College faltered — and how some plan to keep its legacy alive
The environmentally focused Vermont college closed after enrollment declines took their toll, but some are moving to create an institute to house its legacy.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 22, 2026 -
"Northland College Sign" by Tschellnc is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Column // College Closure FilesBehind Northland’s closure — and the bid to keep its mission alive
The college transformed in the 1970s into an ecologically minded liberal arts institution. Now former faculty want to sustain that ethos in a smaller version.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 6, 2026 -
Unkown. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
Column // College Closure FilesHow the ‘immortal’ Limestone University collapsed
The South Carolina college weathered tough financial times over the course of its life. In April, it made its last play to stay open — but it wasn’t enough.
By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 1, 2025 -
Column // College Closure Files
Bacone College shut down after 145 years. What went wrong?
The Oklahoma institution had shaky finances for years. And some insiders have accused it of straying from its mission of serving Native American students.
By Ben Unglesbee • July 14, 2025
