Following Monday's announcement of a merger between Rosemont College and Villanova University, Philadelphia City Council will hold hearings to investigate a growing trend in higher education.
In the past few years, a number of smaller institutions in the area have closed or merged with larger universities, citing rising costs for operations and low enrollment numbers. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (D-At Large) introduced the legislation Thursday to look at the state of the sector, and it was approved unanimously.
RELATED: Rosemont College is merging with Villanova University in 2027
Earlier this week, Rosemont said it would begin a multi-year transition in 2027 to become a satellite campus for Villanova. Following the completion of the merger, it will be known as Villanova University, Rosemont Campus — although neither school provided additional details on the timeline. Rosemont had reportedly been operating at a loss for five years.
Since 2022, Salus University merged with Drexel University; Villanova assumed ownership of Cabrini University; St. Joseph's University merged with the University of the Sciences; and the University of the Arts folded in June before filing for bankruptcy in September. And just over a year ago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts opted to end its bachelor's and master's degree programs.
Low enrollment has led to financial instability, as smaller schools with higher tuition struggle to compete with the prestige of larger universities. The number of students at Cabrini had dropped 60% since 2016, CNN reported, and the school had been operating at a loss since 2013. At the same time, inflation has made operations more expensive, with the cost of running a college growing 3.4% in fiscal 2024, according to the Higher Education Price Index.
During Thursday's meeting, Thomas called the closures a serious issue, particularly for a city that touts its success in "eds and meds."
"When our universities stand up and wave the red flag and they say we're concerned about our presence and our future, I understand a direct correlation between the work that they do and the impact on the city of Philadelphia," Thomas said.
The changes among Philadelphia schools are part of a growing national trend. BestColleges found that at least 75 public and nonprofit colleges either closed, merged or announced plans to do so since March 2020. A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia published in December, which looks at revenue, enrollment, tuition and financial data, said that more closures were likely due to a predicted 15% drop in enrollment.
However, last semester saw some improvement. Enrollment in the Northeast grew 4.7% in the fall of 2024, the first rise since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Enrollments also grew nationally for bachelor's and associate degree programs, but are still below 2019 levels.
