ADRIAN — Siena Heights University in Adrian has announced it will close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
University leadership, with support from the Adrian Dominican Sisters and the Board of Trustees, cited financial challenges, declining enrollment, and rising costs as the reasons for the decision.
The university plans to offer a full academic year, including athletics, residential life, and graduation in May 2026. Officials say their top priority is supporting students through the transition and helping those who wish to transfer to other institutions.
Siena Heights has served the community for 105 years. More details will be shared in the coming months.
Update: Adrian Dominican Sisters Respond to Siena Heights Closure
The Adrian Dominican Sisters, who founded Siena Heights University in 1919, have released a statement supporting the university’s decision to close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
The Sisters called the decision “wise but painful,” recognizing the university’s financial and demographic challenges in recent years. They praised university leadership, faculty, staff, and benefactors for their efforts to find solutions and provide new opportunities, particularly those aimed at serving rural communities.
The Sisters emphasized that Siena Heights will continue to offer a full academic year, with a focus on honoring the commitments to students, faculty, and staff during the transition. They said their priority is ensuring the university closes honorably and supports every member of the Siena Heights community.
They expressed deep gratitude for the university’s legacy and the lasting contributions of its graduates to the local community and beyond.