Northland College in Ashland will be closing.
The Northland College Board of Trustees this week voted to close the College at the end of the current academic year.
Northland was founded in 1892 and was the first US college to fully integrate an environmental focus with its liberal arts curriculum.
Located on the south shore of Lake Superior, surrounded by northern forests, Northland College inspired its students to explore the fundamental interconnections between nature, place and people.
Ted Bristol, Chair of the Northland College Board of Trustees, said they no longer have the resources to continue.
“Despite the collaborative efforts of the entire Northland family, we no longer have the resources needed to navigate the economic and demographic storms endangering small, liberal arts institutions today,” said Bristol. “With declining enrollment and soaring costs, it takes more to operate the College than we raise in tuition. Even after enacting aggressive measures to cut costs and raise revenues, Northland College has no sustainable path forward.”
Northland’s capacity to finance itself had been in jeopardy since March 2024, when its Board declared financial exigency.
More than one thousand donors responded to a spring 2024 fundraising appeal and the college reduced costs by streamlining its academic offerings and cutting staff.
Northland began the fall 2024 semester with a smaller student body and a focus on nine majors.
