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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lourdes University outside Toledo will close at the end of the school year because of financial strain and declining enrollment, according to a letter by the university’s trustees and the Sisters of St. Francis.
The sisters founded the school in 1958. The closure announcement came Wednesday, making it the latest Ohio college to shut its doors.
Before Lourdes, the last Ohio school to close was Notre Dame College in South Euclid in 2024. Ursuline College in Pepper Pike is in the process of merging with Gannon University in Erie, Pa., although the Ursuline campus is expected to remain open and operate under Gannon.
Ohio public and private schools are grappling with lower enrollment, as families have fewer kids and education costs have risen faster than inflation. Some schools are also struggling with debt. Wittenberg University’s accreditation is now on probationary status due to the Springfield school’s debt levels.
Lourdes University leaders cited mounting financial pressures driven by declining enrollment, rising costs and what they described as an unsustainable funding model.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows the university had an enrollment of 964 students as of 2025, 759 of whom were undergraduates.
Over the past 15 years, Lourdes focused on operating as a traditional undergraduate institution with athletic programs, but leaders said that approach can no longer be maintained, the letter said.
The decision followed what the letter described as an extensive review by the trustees and the Sisters of St. Francis. The letter said the sisters can no longer subsidize the institution at the level required to continue operations.
As part of the closure process, the university has undergone a leadership transition. The letter said President William J. Bisset has agreed to step down, and Sister Nancy Linenkugel has been appointed Lourdes’ 13th and final president.
The letter described Sister Nancy as having “a long history in higher education administration at Xavier University” and as having served as the former congregational minister for the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania.
The university is working on “teach out” agreements with other colleges.
Teach-out agreements would allow Lourdes’ financial aid to be recognized at the new school, for students’ credits to seamlessly transfer and for the students to complete their programs through similar courses at the new college.
Lourdes students can also choose to transfer elsewhere, follow the new college’s admission process, and receive a different financial aid package for that school.
Shortly after the Lourdes announcement, Walsh University in North Canton, which is also a Catholic school, announced automatic acceptance and a seamless transfer pathway for Lourdes students.
Lourdes’ closure will not affect lifelong learning programs or Franciscan Center events, the letter said.
University leaders acknowledged the emotional toll of the announcement and said the decision followed what they described as a “hard and honest look” at the institution’s finances, enrollment trends, academic programs and long-term viability.
“Regrettably, it is now clear that there is no path forward for this institution, and this decision is the most responsible one for our students, our faculty and our mission,” the letter said.