Lourdes University, in Sylvania, Ohio, will close at the end of the academic year, as many traditional, small private institutions have over the past two years.
The Catholic university’s Board of Trustees described declining enrollment and “mounting financial pressures” as the two main culprits for the closing, according to a public letter released on Wednesday.
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Lourdes’ operating model as a “traditional undergraduate institution with athletic programs… can no longer be sustained,” the letter read. “These realities, not unique to Lourdes, have spurred thoughtful discussions about our future.
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William Bisset stepped down as president following the closure. The Sisters of St. Francis, which have long subsidized Lourdes since its founding in 1958, appointed Nancy Linenkugel as the 13th and final president. She is charged with overseeing the university’s closure.
“Our responsibility now is to steward this legacy thoughtfully, ensuring that the values instilled here continue through the lives and work of our graduates and through the enduring ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania,” reads Linenkugel’s president’s biography.
As of 2025, Lourdes enrolled 964 students, 759 of whom were undergraduates, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The university had prioritized student-athletes to elevate its enrollment in recent years. More than 72% of Lourdes’ undergraduate population were student-athletes, data from the Department of Education reveals.
A handful of colleges and universities have closed in Ohio and surrounding states in the past two years. Siena Heights University in Michigan and Martin University in Indiana closed last year. In Ohio, Union Institute & University closed in 2024.
Walsh University and University of Toledo have stepped in to provide teach-out agreements for students who must continue their studies past this academic year.
The private Catholic university was founded in 1958 as a junior college after first serving as an extension program of another Catholic women’s college.
