Hampshire College was ‘a magical place’ for a progressive education. It couldn’t survive this era

Key Points:

• Hampshire College, founded in 1970 with an innovative, interdisciplinary liberal arts approach, announced it will close permanently after the upcoming fall semester due to low enrollment and financial difficulties.
• The college struggled to meet its 2025 enrollment goal of 300 students, only attracting about half, despite extensive efforts to save the institution following a near-closure six years ago.
• Hampshire’s unique educational model emphasized self-designed curricula, close faculty relationships, and community service, attracting students seeking an unconventional and socially conscious college experience.
• The closure has shocked alumni and faculty, who praised Hampshire as transformative and criticized political attacks on liberal arts education as exacerbating broader challenges facing higher education.
• The announcement raises broader questions about the future of college education amid declining enrollments, rising costs, and debates over the value and purpose of a liberal arts degree in today’s society.