The news that came out of Hampshire College on Tuesday — that the nearly 60-year-old, unconventional liberal arts institution will be closing — was hardly a surprise.

The news came maybe a little sooner than many expected, but the handwriting has been on the wall for some time now. Indeed, this quirky school had fought a brave fight to keep the doors open over the past decade or so, but in the end, it simply could not overcome a powerful mix of forces, everything from a sharp drop in enrollment to an inability to refinance its bond debt to a waning unrestricted endowment.

“Despite this herculean effort, the financial pressures on the college’s operations have become increasingly complex, compounded by shifting external factors,” college President Jennifer Chrisler wrote in a letter to the Hampshire community. “We are faced with the clear, heartbreaking reality that progress … has fallen far short of what we had hoped.”

Another reality is that, while Hampshire’s situation was dire and certainly magnified by the fact that it became increasingly difficult to attract students to a college with a seriously uncertain future, many private colleges are struggling and may soon face hard choices themselves.

Indeed, a new forecast by the Huron Consulting Group projects that nearly one-quarter of the nation’s 1,700 private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities are at risk of closing or having to merge within the next 10 years.

To survive, these schools must find ways to increase enrollment at a time when the number of high school graduates continues to fall, and convince enough families of the value of a four-year college degree.

If current trends continue, this will become an increasingly tall order, and the higher education landscape in this region and this country could change considerably.

That, too, is a heartbreaking reality.

AMHERST — The Hampshire College board of trustees has voted to permanently close the college following the fall 2026 semester, citing a lack of resources to sustain full operations and meet regulatory responsibilities.

“The inability to substantially grow enrollment would mean extraordinary cuts to our operating budgets to educate the student body we can reasonably anticipate,” according to a public letter released today by the board and college President Jennifer Chrisler. “Additionally, the degree of short-term debt tied to our land assets means that even a favorable sale would not change our long-term financial trajectory given current enrollment.”

The letter notes that, “seven years ago, the Hampshire community presented the college with a powerful mandate: to maintain independence and remain true to Hampshire’s deepest-held values. Since then, we have all worked together toward those goals, facing daunting challenges with the ingenuity and resolve that define the best of what happens here. We left no stone unturned, no solution unexplored, and made many sacrifices along the way.

“Despite this herculean effort, the financial pressures on the college’s operations have become increasingly complex, compounded by shifting external factors,” it continues, noting that attempts were made to increase enrollment, refinance existing debt, and realize new revenue via the sale of a portion of land.

“We have long known that addressing these issues is essential to establishing a stable financial foundation, supporting long-term operations, and meeting regulatory requirements. We are faced with the clear, heartbreaking reality that progress on each of these three key factors has fallen far short of what we had hoped.”

The announcement was made with the goal of helping current students complete their education at Hampshire or a partner institution.

“We want to assure you that Hampshire’s board made its decision only after exploring every possible alternative,” the letter continues. “Nearly every trustee is an alum, and we share in the community’s heartbreak. Yet we know that you will come together, as you always do, to support each other and take much-deserved pride in what makes this college unlike any other.”