Josh Moody
January 26, 2023
Hilbert College, a nonprofit Catholic institution in New York, is purchasing for-profit Valley College, which has four sites in Ohio and West Virginia. That makes for an unusual match.
Hilbert College is marrying outside the faith.
The four-year Roman Catholic nonprofit college in New York announced Wednesday that it would acquire Valley College, a for-profit career institution with four sites in Ohio and West Virginia. Hilbert officials and outside experts believe the merger marks the first time that a nonprofit religious institution has purchased a for-profit college, though they note parallels in the health-care sector, where Catholic hospitals have merged with or acquired nonreligious competitors.
And despite the unusual pairing, Hilbert College officials say the move makes sense.