Hampshire College closure announced: permanent shutdown set for December 2026
Hampshire College will permanently close at the end of December 2026 , the Board of Trustees announced on April 14, 2026 . The college said it missed its Fall 2025 enrollment target and could not resolve long-term debt despite raising more than $55 million in unrestricted support since 2019 .
Article updated Apr 15, 2026 by Jasmine Grover.
Hampshire College closure: key dates and numbers
Below are the dates and figures you need to know right now.
| Event | Date / Number |
|---|---|
| Board announcement | April 14, 2026 |
| Student decision deadline | April 30, 2026 |
| Spring commencement | May 16, 2026 |
| Teach-out end / Permanent closure | December 2026 |
| Transcripts held until | December 31, 2026 ; then moved to UMass Amherst |
| Undergraduate enrollment (approx.) | 745 students |
| Tuition and fees (annual) | $63,900 |
| Funds raised since 2019 | $55 million+ |
Hampshire College closure: options for current students
The college has set two formal pathways. You must tell Hampshire which pathway you choose by April 30, 2026 .
If you are in Division III and near completion, you can finish your degree at Hampshire and graduate in December 2026 . Spring graduates will have a commencement on May 16, 2026 .
If you are in Division I or II — or prefer to leave — eight partner institutions have signed transfer agreements to accept students. Deposits paid by admitted students for Fall 2026 will be fully refunded.
Partner institutions (signed transfer agreements)
| Partner institution |
|---|
| Amherst College |
| Bennington College |
| Massachusetts College of Art & Design |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) |
| Mount Holyoke College |
| Prescott College |
| Smith College |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
Visa and SEVP issues for international students
The college has not publicly confirmed whether its SEVP certification will remain active through the teach-out. This is urgent for F-1 students: you must maintain full-time enrollment at a SEVP-certified school.
If you plan to transfer, start the SEVIS transfer process immediately. Get a new I-20 from your accepting school before your current one expires and meet that school's financial documentation requirements. Coordinate with Designated School Officials to avoid any gap in SEVIS registration.
Why the closure happened — factual summary
Hampshire relied heavily on tuition revenue, had a small student base (about 745 ), and carried structural debt that emergency fundraising could not fix. The college’s endowment was far smaller than peer institutions in the Five Colleges consortium, limiting its ability to cover operating shortfalls.