The University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont., whose sole corporate member is Renton, Wash.-based Providence, will close at the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
The university’s board voted Oct. 27 to end educational operations, with the final day of instruction set for Aug. 20, 2027, according to a university news release. The university cited continued enrollment declines and financial pressures, and said restructuring programs, cutting expenses and exploring partnerships, including mergers and acquisitions, did not produce a sustainable operating model. The Catholic university, founded in 1932, offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and health professions.
“The board concluded that closing with care was the responsible choice,” Terry Cosgrove, chair of the university’s board, said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “A planned closure, rather than the risk of an abrupt one, gives us the time to support every student and every employee through this transition.”
Providence provided $125 million over the past decade to keep the university open while it searched for a sustainable model, Greg Till, the health system’s chief people officer, said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
“Providence can no longer afford to continue subsidizing the university to keep it open,” Mr. Till said. “As a nonprofit health system, our resources must go first to caring for patients and communities.”
Mr. Till said the university’s board made the decision to close, and that Providence took part in the process as a corporate member. Providence’s current agreements with the university will be honored until it closes, and the health system will continue its workforce partnerships in Montana, including with Seattle-based University of Washington School of Medicine’s WWAMI program and the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana, he said.
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