Know what closed.
Understand what comes next.
Practical guidance and sourced data for students, families, journalists, and higher-education professionals.
Search closed colleges in the United States
Browse 3,769 federal closure records by school, state, and date.
Search closures ↗02 · Warning signsCheck signs of financial strain
Review enrollment, federal oversight, finances, staffing, and accreditation.
Search warning signs ↗03 · Program changesFollow closures and teach-outs
Search nursing, law, allied health, and other fields.
Search program changes ↗Reporting, research,
and student help.
Choose a subject below. Each guide links to the records and sources behind it.
College Closures
9 guidesColleges closing in 2026: confirmed closures and announcements
Track U.S. colleges closing in 2026 using dated official records. See confirmed closures, upcoming closure announcements, state details, and student resources.
Read ↗02Colleges closing in 2027: announced closures and tracker
Track colleges that have officially announced a 2027 closure. Separate confirmed announcements from mergers, restructurings and warning signals.
Read ↗03Small private colleges closing: what the data shows
Explore small private college closures, why some tuition-dependent schools face pressure, and how to separate confirmed closures from warning signs.
Read ↗04Small liberal arts colleges closing: what to know
See confirmed small liberal arts college closures and learn why enrollment, tuition dependence, accreditation, and merger plans matter.
Read ↗05Liberal arts colleges that have closed: U.S. history and data
Browse liberal arts colleges that have closed and understand the difference between closures, mergers, and program shutdowns.
Read ↗06For-profit colleges that have closed: a U.S. closure guide
Browse for-profit college closures, understand branches versus institutions, and find help with transcripts, loans, and teach-outs.
Read ↗07Online colleges that have closed: how to find records and help
Learn how to verify an online college closure, locate transcripts, check accreditation, and understand federal student-loan options.
Read ↗08Colleges that closed recently
Browse recent U.S. college closures and understand the difference between an institutional closure, merger, branch closure, and program shutdown.
Read ↗09Private colleges that have closed
Browse private nonprofit college closures by state and year and learn how the records are classified.
Read ↗Financial Health
6 guidesColleges at risk of closing: how to check the evidence
Learn how to evaluate colleges at risk of closing using official financial, enrollment, accreditation and federal oversight signals without relying on rumors.
Read ↗02Colleges most likely to close? What the data can and cannot tell you
Searching for colleges most likely to close? See what official data can reveal about financial and enrollment stress, and why responsible analysis stops short of predictions.
Read ↗03Private colleges in financial trouble: what to look for
Explore financial warning signs at private colleges, why tuition-dependent institutions can be vulnerable, and how to check enrollment, oversight and accreditation data.
Read ↗04Small colleges in financial trouble: the signals to watch
Learn why some small colleges face financial pressure and how to check enrollment decline, federal oversight, accreditation and program cuts before enrolling.
Read ↗05University budget deficits: what to look for
Learn how to read a university budget deficit alongside enrollment, reserves, debt, cash flow, cuts, and federal financial data.
Read ↗06University financial crisis: warning signs you can check
Learn which signs of financial strain students can verify and how to weigh several signals together.
Read ↗Program Actions
3 guidesUniversity program cuts: what students need to know
Learn why universities eliminate programs, what a teach-out should cover, and when cuts may point to broader financial strain.
Read ↗02Law school closures and teach-outs
Track law school closures and teach-outs and learn what to check about credits, bar eligibility, records, and loans.
Read ↗03Pharmacy school closures and teach-outs
Track PharmD program closures and learn what to check about accreditation, credits, licensure, records, and loans.
Read ↗Accreditation
3 guidesColleges that lost accreditation: what it means for students
See documented accreditation withdrawals and learn how loss of accreditation can affect federal aid, transfer credits, degrees, licensing, and teach-outs.
Read ↗02How to check a university’s accreditation
Check a university’s accreditation using federal records, then confirm current institutional and program status with the accrediting agency.
Read ↗03University accreditation probation: what it means
Learn what accreditation probation means, how it differs from a warning or loss of accreditation, and what students should check.
Read ↗Enrollment Trends
2 guidesColleges with declining enrollment: a U.S. data tracker
Explore colleges with large multi-year enrollment declines and learn how to interpret the trend without treating enrollment loss as a closure prediction.
Read ↗02University enrollment decline: what the data actually shows
Understand U.S. university enrollment decline, why national and college-level trends differ, and how falling enrollment can affect college finances and programs.
Read ↗Student Guides
5 guidesWhat happens when a university closes?
Learn what happens to classes, transcripts, transfer credits, teach-outs, tuition, and federal loans, plus what to do first.
Read ↗02Is a degree from a closed university still valid?
Usually, yes. Learn how to verify a degree from a closed college, find the transcript custodian, document accreditation, and handle employer checks.
Read ↗03Teach-out plans: what students need to know
Understand college teach-out plans, receiving-school agreements, costs, credit transfer, accreditation, federal loans, and the questions to ask before accepting.
Read ↗04What happens when a university files for bankruptcy?
Learn what a university bankruptcy can mean for classes, transcripts, accreditation, federal aid, teach-outs, and closure.
Read ↗05What to do when a coding bootcamp closes
Learn how to preserve records, check refund and financing terms, and evaluate transfer or completion options after a coding bootcamp closes.
Read ↗