Christian Colleges Face Wave of Closures in 2026 as Enrollment and Funding Dry Up

At least five Christian and faith-based colleges announced closures or wind-down plans in 2026, continuing a trend that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trinity Christian College in Illinois said it would close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year after years of operating deficits and falling enrollment. Providence Christian College in California voted to shut down after losing a $3 million federal grant that had been deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Solicitor General. The school also faced pressure from its accreditor over financial sustainability.

The University of Valley Forge in Pennsylvania announced it would cease operations on August 21, 2026. Enrollment at the school had fallen by half since 2007, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education had threatened to strip the university of its accreditation.

Two Catholic institutions also announced closures: Lourdes University in Ohio and Siena Heights University in Michigan. Both cited demographic shifts, rising costs, and enrollment declines of roughly one-third over the past decade.

Analysts say small, tuition-dependent private colleges are especially vulnerable. Many rely on a single revenue stream and lack the endowments to absorb enrollment swings. Accrediting bodies have grown more aggressive in placing struggling schools on probation when they cannot produce viable financial plans.

Each closing institution has arranged teach-out partnerships with other colleges so students can complete their degrees. Higher education researchers say the pace of closures is likely to continue as demographic trends reduce the number of traditional college-age students through the late 2020s.