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Sylvania Today
By the People, for the People
Lourdes University in Ohio to Close Down After 68 Years
The private Catholic and Franciscan university cites financial pressures and unsustainable funding model as reasons for the permanent closure.
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio has announced that it will permanently close at the end of the current academic year. The private liberal arts university, founded in 1958, has faced mounting financial challenges due to declining enrollment, rising costs, and an unsustainable funding model. The Sisters of St. Francis, who have subsidized the university, can no longer continue to support it at the required level. The university's 12th president, Dr. William J. Bisset, has resigned, and a sister from the Sisters of St. Francis has been appointed to oversee the closure process.
Why it matters
The closure of Lourdes University will have a significant impact on the hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students currently enrolled, as well as the 136 full and part-time faculty and staff. The news has come as a shock to the community, with one parent expressing concern over the impact on student scholarships and the difficulty of transferring to other institutions on such short notice.
The details
In a letter to students and families, Lourdes University cited the 'mounting financial pressures driven by declining enrollment, rising costs and a funding model that is increasingly unsustainable' as the reasons for the closure. The Sisters of St. Francis, who have subsidized the university, can no longer continue to support it at the required level. As part of the closure process, the university's president, Dr. William J. Bisset, has resigned, and a sister from the Sisters of St. Francis has been appointed to oversee the institution's shuttering.
- Lourdes University will close at the end of the current academic year.
- An all-parent Zoom meeting has been scheduled for February 17, followed by a student Zoom on February 18.
The players
Lourdes University
A private Catholic and Franciscan liberal arts university founded in 1958 and located in Sylvania, Ohio.
Sisters of St. Francis
The religious order that has subsidized and supported Lourdes University for decades, but can no longer continue to do so at the required level.
Dr. William J. Bisset
The 12th president of Lourdes University, who has announced his resignation as part of the closure process.
What’s next
An all-parent Zoom meeting has been scheduled for February 17, followed by a student Zoom on February 18, where the university will share more information about how they will support students, faculty and staff in transitioning to the next step in their educational journeys before the university closes.
The takeaway
The closure of Lourdes University, a 68-year-old private Catholic and Franciscan institution, highlights the financial challenges facing many small, private universities in the United States. The sudden announcement has left students, families, and the local community scrambling, raising concerns about the impact on scholarships, transfers, and the loss of a longstanding educational institution.
