Jatika Hudson
August 27, 2026
On November 4, 2025, Trinity Christian College, a private liberal arts institution in Palos Heights, Illinois, announced that it will close its doors after the 2025-2026 academic year. The shuttering of small, private colleges is a growing trend as the higher education landscape continues to change due to a myriad of reasons. Dwindling finances and decreased enrollment play a vital role in what’s pushing these schools toward closure. Private colleges have been hit the hardest, and the ripple effect is reverberating through the communities and impacting their economies.
Trinity’s board chair Ken Dryfhout says, “After a period of intense deliberation and prayerful discernment the board of trustees has voted to close Trinity Christian College at the end of this academic year. The class of 2026 will be our last class to graduate from Trinity, and we will cease academic operations after the 2025-2026 academic year.”