Goddard College to Close Due to Financial Struggles and Declining Enrollment

After 86 years, the Vermont-based progressive education institution will shut down at the semester's end.

Goddard College, known for its unique approach to progressive education, faces closure after a significant drop in student numbers from over 1,900 in the 1970s to just 220 today.
Financial challenges and a changing educational landscape have pushed the college to the brink of insolvency, prompting the decision to close.
The college's board and administration have explored various strategies over the years but were unable to overcome the combined pressures of inflation, demographic shifts, and evolving educational preferences.
Goddard students will be offered the opportunity to continue their education at Prescott College in Arizona, maintaining the same tuition rate, with additional partner institutions potentially announced soon.
The closure is part of a broader trend affecting small colleges across the U.S., reflecting deeper systemic issues in higher education funding and demographics.