Hampshire College to close

Hampshire College will close after the fall 2026 semester, ending operations at the Amherst, Massachusetts, liberal arts school after the board voted Tuesday. (hampshire.edu) President Jennifer Chrisler and the board said the college failed to make enough progress on three goals: raising enrollment, refinancing debt, and generating new revenue from a land sale. They said Hampshire no longer has the resources to keep operating and meet regulatory obligations. (hampshire.edu) The school said current students will get individualized advising and transfer pathways through partner institutions including Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Hampshire told employees layoffs are expected to begin June 15, with notices starting next week. (wgbh.org) The closure follows a fresh warning from the New England Commission of Higher Education, which in March 2026 asked Hampshire to show cause for probation or withdrawal of accreditation over institutional resources. The commission’s public records list Hampshire under that action, and the college’s accreditor had been pressing it to prove long-term sustainability. (neche.org) Hampshire’s finances had been under strain for years. Inside Higher Ed reported the college carried a $21 million bond it could not refinance, had breached bond covenants in 2025, and faced a September tender date that could have forced repayment. (insidehighered.com) Enrollment also fell short of the college’s own turnaround targets. Hampshire said in February that it had 750 full-time students as of January 2026, and Inside Higher Ed reported the college enrolled 168 new students in fall 2025 against a goal of 300. (hampshire.edu) (insidehighered.com) The announcement closes a seven-year struggle that began to spill into public view in 2019, when Hampshire decided not to admit a full incoming class while it searched for a strategic partner. Federal data cited by WBUR showed the college admitted just 19 new first-year students that year. (wbur.org) Hampshire was founded in 1965 and enrolled its first students in 1970 on an 800-acre campus in South Amherst. It became known for a self-directed model that let students design courses of study outside traditional majors and letter grades. (hampshire.edu) (wgbh.org) Board chair Jose Fuentes said the trustees explored every possible alternative before voting to close. Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the loss will hit about 200 local jobs and reduce spending at nearby businesses. (wgbh.org) For Hampshire students, faculty, and alumni, the next deadline is now the end of the fall 2026 term. The college said it is using its remaining resources to wind down in a way that lets students finish on campus or move to partner schools. (hampshire.edu)