Anna Maria College in Massachusetts to close after spring semester: "We are deeply, genuinely sorry"
Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts announced Thursday it will soon close, citing "years of financial pressure."
"It is with profound grief that we write today to tell you that Anna Maria will cease academic operations at the end of our Spring 2026 Semester," president Sean Ryan and the Board of Trustees said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education issued a notice saying that Anna Maria may not have "sufficient resources" to stay open through the next academic year.
"No viable path forward"
There are about 1,400 undergraduate at the private Catholic college that was founded in 1946.
"The decision reflects years of financial pressure that we were ultimately unable to overcome, and the honest recognition that continuing would not be responsible to the students, faculty, and staff who depend on us," the college said. "We tried to find a way. We are grateful to everyone who tried alongside us. And we are deeply, genuinely sorry we found no viable path forward."
The school told WBZ-TV just over a week ago that it was "reviewing every option available" and had recently received an anonymous $5 million donation. It also said enrollment indicators for Fall 2026 had "shown some movement in a positive direction."
Smaller colleges facing challenges
Another small liberal arts college in Massachusetts, Hampshire College in Amherst, announced last week that it was closing permanently amid financial struggles.
Higher education reporter Jon Marcus told WBZ-TV recently that small colleges across the country that rely on tuition and lack large endowments are struggling with a "demographic cliff," and "Anna Maria is precisely the kind of college that is in trouble."
"We here in New England are oversaturated with these kinds of small colleges. It's been a source of pride, but now it's a source a vulnerability because they're really an important part of our economy here," Marcus said.
