University of Providence in Montana to Close in 2027

The University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana, will close in August 2027, after the current academic year ends. The Catholic university cited sustained enrollment and financial challenges. Its closure leaves Carroll College as the state's lone Catholic institution.

The 94-year-old school operated at a loss in nine of the last 10 fiscal years, according to public financial documents. The tipping point appeared to be a break with Providence St. Joseph Health. The health system had given the university up to $8.5 million a year since the university pivoted to more health-care programs in 2017. Amid its own financial challenges, the system required the university to become financially independent by December 2027 and reduced its institutional support.

The university restructured academic programs and declared financial exigency in December. It could not find a path forward. "For nearly a century, the University of Providence has brought people together through education, faith and service," President Caroline Goulet said in a video message. "We have faced sustained enrollment and financial challenges and pursued multiple paths to secure the university's future. Despite those efforts, we could not find a financially sustainable way forward."

Shrinking enrollment and cash

Officials said at a Tuesday press conference that the current head count is 430. Federal data shows 957 students in fall 2016. Board Chair Terry Cosgrove told local reporters that the university lost authorization to provide online education in multiple states, which was a barrier to enrollment. He added that it had sought partnerships with other institutions to avoid closing.

Providence cut a dozen majors and other programs in 2019 as it moved toward a greater focus on health care. Even so, it struggled to return to the black and posted an operating loss that fiscal year. Its cash then collapsed within a short time. As of June 2025 it had just under $250,000 on hand, compared with $7.6 million in the prior fiscal year.

The endowment stood at $21 million as of June 2025, according to the latest available audit. Much of it was restricted, leaving only $3 million for operations. The accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, put the university on probation this summer over financial issues. It told the university to develop a teach-out plan.

A local Catholic bishop, the Sisters of Charity of Providence and the Ursuline Sisters founded the university in 1932. It began as a women's college and went coeducational in 1937.

Source: Inside Higher Ed