Hampshire College’s Board of Trustees voted to close the Massachusetts liberal arts institution after the fall 2026 semester, citing “increasingly complex” financial pressure and unmet regulatory responsibilities. The college said efforts to raise enrollment, refinance debt, and generate revenue through land sales fell short. The announcement underscores how small residential colleges are facing simultaneous enrollment declines, shrinking resources, and accreditation scrutiny. The college pointed to a need for sufficient resources to sustain full operations, after the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) required demonstrations of financial capacity, with potential probation exposure.