Hampshire College closure 2026 — Board confirms permanent shutdown end Dec 2026
The Board of Trustees announced on April 14, 2026 that Hampshire College will permanently close at the end of December 2026 . About 745 undergraduate students are enrolled; the college says it missed enrollment targets, failed to refinance debt and exhausted seven years of emergency fundraising despite raising over $55 million since 2019.
Updated Apr 15, 2026 .
Hampshire College closure 2026: key dates and numbers
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Board announced closure | April 14, 2026 |
| Article updated | April 15, 2026 |
| Student decision deadline (current students) | April 30, 2026 |
| Spring commencement | May 16, 2026 |
| Transcripts transferred to UMass Amherst after | December 31, 2026 |
| Permanent closure effective | End of December 2026 |
Tuition and fees are listed at $63,900 per year .
Hampshire College closure 2026: options for current students
You must pick a pathway by April 30, 2026 if you are a current student. The college has two formal options.
Pathway 1 — Complete your degree at Hampshire
This is available mainly to Division III students who are in the final independent-project phase. You can finish your Division III project during Summer and Fall 2026 and graduate in December 2026 . Hampshire will remain accredited by NECHE and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education through the teach-out.
Campus housing and student services will be available through the teach-out period. Transcripts will be held by Hampshire until December 31, 2026 , then transferred to University of Massachusetts Amherst .
Pathway 2 — Transfer to a partner institution
Division I and II students (and Division III students who prefer to leave) can use signed transfer agreements. Partner institutions include:
| Partner institution | Type |
|---|---|
| Amherst College | Private liberal arts |
| Bennington College | Private liberal arts |
| Massachusetts College of Art & Design | Public art & design |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) | Public liberal arts |
| Mount Holyoke College | Private liberal arts |
| Prescott College | Private liberal arts |
| Smith College | Private liberal arts |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst | Public research university |
Hampshire's advising centre will assist with credit mapping and documentation.
F-1 visa, SEVP and immediate actions for international students
Hampshire has not publicly confirmed whether its SEVP certification will remain active through December 2026. That makes the F-1 status question urgent for international students.
If you are on an F-1 visa, contact Hampshire's international office immediately at advising@hampshire.edu and your chosen transfer school's DSO. Initiate SEVIS record transfer as soon as your new institution is confirmed and secure a new I-20 before your current one expires. Do not allow a gap in your SEVIS record.
Why the college is closing — verified facts
Hampshire missed key enrollment targets, could not refinance its debt, and carried seven years of emergency fundraising before the decision. The college raised more than $55 million in unrestricted support since 2019 but still faced structural financial shortfalls.