ADRIAN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Siena Heights University is preparing its final school year after more than a century in Catholic higher education.
The Adrian-based institution announced June 30 it will cease operations after the 2025–26 academic year, citing rising costs, declining enrollment, and demographic shifts.
“We’re not the first college and university to close, nor will we be the last,” President Douglas Palmer said in a message to the campus, according to The Detroit News.
Founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919, the university served generations of Michigan residents—originally as a women’s teaching college and later as a co-ed university offering more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs. It currently enrolls about 1,850 students and runs satellite centers in cities across the state.
Siena Heights joins a growing list of small faith-based schools folding across Michigan, including Finlandia University, Marygrove College, and Concordia University.
Officials say current students will be offered transfer support, and faculty and staff will receive transition assistance. Still, Palmer promised a full final year—with sports, campus life, and celebrations—before shutting down in 2026.
“The spirit of Siena Heights will continue long after the institution itself closes its doors,” Palmer said. “It lives in every graduate, faculty member, and staff person who has been on campus.”