JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois college will close its doors after 174 years due to declining enrollment and other financial challenges.
The State Journal-Register reports the chairman of the MacMurray College board of trustees said Friday the four-year liberal arts college in Jacksonville will close at the end of the spring semester. Charles O’Connell said there was no viable path forward for the college, citing rising costs and an insufficient endowment as factors.
The college currently has 527 full-time students and 101 faculty and staff. Students already have moved off campus and are taking classes online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
