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Clarks Summit University is closing in the fall, officials announced Monday.
The small Baptist college in eastern Pennsylvania had already furloughed all its employees for the summer and faced scrutiny from its accreditor over fiscal management.
“The Board of Trustees and employees have worked to overcome the most recent challenges and have exhausted every viable solution to bridge a significant financial gap,” the announcement read. “Despite all efforts, the financial gap remains. Due to these financial circumstances, Clarks Summit University’s Board of Trustees has made the difficult and painful decision to begin the process of closure.”
Like many institutions in the Keystone State, Clarks Summit struggled to maintain head count in recent years; enrollment dropped by half over a decade, from more than 1,100 students in fall 2012 to 552 in fall 2022, according to federal data.
The university has established teach-out plans with Cairn University outside Philadelphia and Liberty University in Virginia, where current Clarks Summit students can transfer to complete their degrees, the announcement said.
