Fontbonne University in Missouri to close due to budget problems and declining enrollment

A century-old university in suburban St. Louis will shut down next year, its president said Monday, citing declining enrollment and ongoing budget problems.
Fontbonne University, in Clayton, was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1923, first as a place to educate young Catholic women. Enrollment for the fall semester was 874 students, including 650 undergraduates. A decade ago, Fontbonne’s enrollment was about 2,000 students, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
University President Nancy Blattner said in a statement that Fontbonne will not accept freshmen for the fall 2024 semester, but will continue with classes through summer 2025. University leaders will work with faculty and staff to help them find new positions elsewhere, she said.
“After many years of declining enrollments and a shrinking endowment, the financial position of the university is no longer able to be sustained for the long term,” Blattner said.
Many universities are facing similar struggles. Public and private colleges and universities across the country have announced mass layoffs in recent months, as well as program eliminations and campus closures. Budget shortfalls are blamed on declining enrollment, the end of federal pandemic funding and other factors.
In December, the University of Arizona unveiled a financial recovery plan to address a shortfall that now stands at $177 million in the current operating budget. Earlier last year, four of the 14 universities in the Big Ten Conference — Penn State, Nebraska, Minnesota and Rutgers — announced significant budget shortfalls. Bradley University, a private school in Illinois, faced a $13 million budget shortfall representing 10% of its total operating budget.
Blattner said Fontbonne leaders have worked for years to try and turn things around.
“Despite our best efforts to cut costs, create new academic programs and launch athletic teams, the university is unable to recover from years of declining enrollments and budget deficits,” she said.
The university’s 16-acre campus sits next to Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University announced Monday that it agreed to purchase the Fontbonne campus but doesn’t have definitive plans for the property.
___
This story has been corrected to reflect the shortfall in the University of Arizona’s current operating budget as $177 million.

Recent Posts

Aramco’s 2024 Profit Falls 12% to $106B Due to Energy Prices

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The state-controlled oil enterprise of Saudi Arabia, Aramco, announced a…

29 minutes ago

US tariffs on Canada/Mexico begin; China targets US farms

In a move that sent shockwaves through the global market, President Donald Trump's much-debated tariffs…

35 minutes ago

China Imposes Additional Tariffs on Key US Ag Imports

BEIJING — On Tuesday, China unveiled a decision to levy additional tariffs as high as…

57 minutes ago

Greenland’s Northern Islanders Stand Firm: ‘Not for Sale’

NUUK, Greenland — Qooqu Berthelsen, a young resident of Greenland, stands on a boat amidst…

1 hour ago

Cooper Flagg shines in potential Cameron farewell

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University was on the verge of achieving an unbeaten home record…

2 hours ago

Israel proposes new strategy amid stalled Gaza ceasefire

This week, Israel put forward what it describes as a new U.S. ceasefire proposal to…

4 hours ago