St. Andrews University in NC is Closing its Doors

It plans to help students ‘teach out’ at other cooperating schools.

Another small Christian college is shuttering. St. Andrews University announced it would close its Laurinburg, N.C., campus on May 5, 2025 after the spring semester ends.

Photo via Facebook @St. Andrews University

“This outcome follows years of effort to preserve our presence in this community while delivering an affordable, high-quality education and meaningful student experience. Despite those efforts, we have reached a point where financial sustainability is no longer attainable,” Dr. Tarun Malik, St. Andrews campus president and provost, said in a statement about the closing.

The president sought to assure students it would support them in finding teach-out opportunities at other universities, such as Brevard College, Appalachian State University, and High Point University.

It also plans to help employees secure new opportunities.

St. Andrews traces its roots to the 19^th century when Flora Macdonald College for Women was started in Red Springs, N.C., in 1896. In 1958, Flora Macdonald merged with Presbyterian Junior College to form St. Andrews University.

After it lost accreditation due to financial problems in the late 2000s, St. Andrews merged with Webber International University in Babson Park, Florida, in 2011.

The small university with student enrollment of less than 800 is well-known for its equestrian program with successful teams competing in national equestrian competitions.

St. Andrews is just one of many small Christian colleges that has closed its doors in recent years as a long-expected demographic shift based on declining birth rates is starting to materialize.

Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, announced its plans to cease all academic operations in May 2025. The board of trustees of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, decided in February the college will close at the end of this academic year.

In recent years, other closures include Alliance University, Clarks Summit University, Birmingham-Southern College, Finlandia University, The King’s College, and Iowa Wesleyan University.

Limestone University in Gaffney, S.C., may face imminent closure if it doesn’t receive $6 million in financial support. Last week, the Fullerton Foundation made a commitment of $1 million to the college as part of its “Together for Limestone” campaign.

A recent study attempted to forecast college closures based on the declining number of students who are college-age. It predicted that if the abrupt 15% decline in enrollment occurs, up to 80 additional colleges could close.

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