Atlantic Union College Closing

Two Massachusetts newspapers reported earlier today that Atlantic Union College in Lancaster, MA will close.  Atlantic Union had previously closed in spring 2011 before reopening again for the fall semester 2015.  It was unable to regain accreditation or provide a stable stream of revenue.  The Fitchburg, MA Sentinel and Enterprise published reporting by Peter Jasinski, "Atlantic Union College announces it is closing after 140 years of operation."

"Atlantic Union College in Lancaster will close," appeared in the Worchester, MA Telegram and Gazette with reporting by Scott O'Connell.

Atlantic Union, affiliated with Seventh-day Adventists, was initially founded as the South Lancaster Academy in 1882.  It became Lancaster Junior College in 1918 and the name changed to Atlantic Union College in 1922. 

Two previous College History Garden posts can also be found: 

• Atlantic Union College (MA) from January 25, 2012
• Atlantic Union College Returns from June 30, 2015

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions.  Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.