Hampshire College announced plans on Tuesday to close after the fall 2026 semester.

“Hampshire’s board made this decision only after exploring every possible alternative,” said Jose Fuentes, Chair of the Hampshire College Board of Trustees in a statement issued Tuesday morning. “The financial realities we face: declining enrollment, the weight of long-standing debt, and stalled progress on land development left us no other responsible path.”

Hampshire is working with the state Department of Higher Education and the New England Commission of Higher Education to assist students who will not complete their degrees prior to the college’s closure at the end of the year. The school says students will receive “individualized advising and transfer pathways” to partner institutions, including Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and UMass Amherst.