College closures in New England are having significant economic and cultural effects, as communities and educational institutions work to address a trend that has accelerated in recent years.
Henry Neil, who grew up at Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) in Quincy, Massachusetts, learned the school was closing after more than a century with an email. “One of my friends said to look at our emails, and that he was sorry, and he was going to pray for all of us,” Neil recalled.
ENC is one of 32 colleges in New England that have closed or merged over the past decade, including 11 since 2020. Massachusetts leads the region with 12 closures or mergers since 2015, followed by Vermont with 11.
The closure of a college can impact local economies by reducing jobs and spending. Higher education employs about 4% of New England’s workforce—more than double the national average—and this share rises to about 10% in some rural areas. Riley Sullivan, lead policy analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, noted: “It’s the students and money these schools bring in from outside the region, the local businesses they support, and the vendors they contract with. Some schools are major anchor institutions in their communities.”
New England faces unique challenges because its states have some of the nation’s lowest fertility rates. This demographic shift is expected to result in fewer high school graduates over time, making it harder for colleges to maintain enrollment numbers.
Rising costs are also straining families’ ability to pay for higher education. The College Board estimates annual living expenses at private four-year colleges approach $63,000 before financial aid. Meanwhile, U.S. student loan debt has grown significantly since 2006 and now stands at $1.81 trillion.
Colleges are seeing reduced international student enrollment due to visa restrictions implemented before the start of the 2025–2026 academic year. The NAFSA: Association of International Educators estimates as many as 150,000 fewer international students will attend U.S. colleges this fall.
During the COVID-19 pandemic years between 2021 and 2023, both public and private four-year college enrollments declined for three consecutive years before recovering slightly.
Rob McCarron, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM), explained: “I think a lot of people fail to acknowledge that these … institutions are operating in an environment of significant cost pressures.”
The story is similar elsewhere in New England. Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont—once a cultural hub—closed its campus after struggling financially for years due to declining enrollment from nearly 1,900 students decades ago to just over 200 before closing entirely in April 2024.
Ben Koenig described Goddard’s influence on Plainfield: “All this culture had come (to Plainfield), and it really was because of Goddard… After my second year [at Goddard], it was just so attractive and so different here … that I ended up staying here.” Developer Mike Davidson has purchased Goddard’s campus with plans for new housing and arts initiatives aimed at revitalizing Plainfield.
Smaller private colleges like ENC or Goddard often lack state funding backstops when finances become strained; they rely heavily on tuition revenue compared with larger institutions which have more diversified income streams. Dubravka Ritter from the Philadelphia Fed commented: “Larger institutions are generally more resilient because they tend to have a more diversified mix of revenue.”
Even well-endowed schools face difficulties if enrollments fall short or costs rise unexpectedly; Middlebury College projected a $14 million deficit earlier this year despite its nearly $1.6 billion endowment.
Some closures have been abrupt enough that states have taken action; after Mount Ida College closed suddenly in Newton, Massachusetts lawmakers passed regulations requiring advance notice if schools appear financially vulnerable.
Efforts underway include expanding community college offerings—Massachusetts recently began offering free community college—and developing programs such as dual credit/enrollment options for high schoolers or shortening bachelor’s degree timelines.
Colleges are also trying to attract adult learners seeking career advancement opportunities through further education.
McCarron believes collaboration among schools on research or equipment could help manage costs: “Colleges and universities are kind of the cultural and economic fabric of Boston and the whole New England region,” he said.
Despite uncertainty ahead due to demographics and economics facing higher education nationally—but especially acutely felt across New England—experts say there remains time for adaptation as birth rate declines unfold gradually rather than abruptly.
