Education
“We tried to find a way,” school officials said. “And we are deeply, genuinely sorry we found no viable path forward.”
Anna Maria College will shut down at the end of the 2026 spring semester, school officials said. Paul Kapteyn/Worcester Telegram
Anna Maria College, a private Catholic college in Paxton, is shutting down at the end of the spring semester, school officials announced Tuesday.
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“It has been a privilege to serve alongside this community, one built from the beginning on the belief that education changes lives,” President Sean Ryan and Board of Trustees Chair David Trainor said in an announcement posted to the school’s website “We can attest that it does, because we have seen it through Anna Maria’s students.”
Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) warned that the college may not have the resources to keep operating. The DHE’s notification came after Hampshire College in Amherst announced that it would close due to financial issues and declining enrollment.
Anna Maria’s net operating revenue through June 30, 2025 was approximately $25.34 million, with expenses totaling $32.74 million, according to the college’s 2025 Financial Statements. Officials stated that the college had reduced staffing and operating costs, but it seems those efforts weren’t enough to save the school.
“This conclusion was not reached quickly or easily. For months, the Board of Trustees, our leadership team, and the Sisters of Saint Anne walked a distressing road together, examining every option and hoping at each turn that something might change,” Ryan and Trainor said in the statement. “The decision reflects years of financial pressure that we were ultimately unable to overcome, and the honest recognition that continuing would not be responsible to the students, faculty, and staff who depend on us. We tried to find a way. We are grateful to everyone who tried alongside us. And we are deeply, genuinely sorry we found no viable path forward.”
Graduating seniors will still have their commencement, according to school officials. Continuing students will be guided forward on an individual basis as transfer agreements with partner institutions are finalized. Prospective students will receive refunded deposits and direct communication from the college.
Staffing changes will occur as Anna Maria shuts down to prioritize student support, and adjustments will happen in phases, officials said. The full list of “impacted roles and timelines” has not yet been finalized, but administrators will reach out directly as decisions are made.
Alumni transcripts and academic records will continue to be accessible, and instructions for requesting them will come soon. Regis College will become the long-term steward of these records once Anna Maria closes, officials said.
Going forward, administrators will be available to answer all questions, according to Ryan and Trainor. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here, and direct inquiries can be sent to [email protected].
“We know this news will bring grief, anger, and questions we cannot yet fully answer. All of that is right and deserved,” Ryan and Trainor said. “We will communicate as clearly and as often as we can throughout this process.”
Anna Maria College was founded in Marlborough in 1946 as an all-girls liberal arts school before expanding to coeducational enrollment in 1973. The current Paxton campus spans 190 acres, with about 1,500 students enrolled.
The college was established by the Sisters of Saint Anne, which was itself founded by Esther Blondin in 1850. Saint Pope John Paul II later proclaimed her Blessed Marie Anne Blondin in 2001, according to school officials.
“The Sisters have walked with us through this decision,” Ryan and Trainor said. “We grieve the loss of this particular expression of their holy work. But the Sisters built something that no one can undo. Their ideals and the mission of this College live in the tens of thousands of students who were educated here, in the communities they have served, and in every life they have touched.”
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