Historic private Catholic university in Lenawee County to close after 105 years

ADRIAN, Mich. – Siena Heights University announced it will close after the 2025-26 school year, citing ongoing financial struggles and declining enrollment as the primary reasons.

The school announced the closure Monday, June 30.

The decision was reportedly made with the support of the General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

President Dr. Douglas B. Palmer said the decision was not made lightly.

“For 105 Years, Siena Heights University has been a beacon of light in a world sometimes cast in darkness,” Palmer wrote in a statement online. “he spirit of Siena Heights will continue long after the institution itself closes its doors because it lives in every graduate, faculty member, and staff person who has been on campus -- whether in-person or online.”

The university was founded in 1919 as a women-only college and became co-educational in 1969.