CHARLOTTE — William Peace University operated as a women’s college for more than a century before its major shift in 2012 to a co-ed institution.
As enrollment has mostly declined over the past decade, from 1,077 total students in fall 2014 to 730 in fall 2023, the university is pivoting again.
A residential college in downtown Raleigh for most of its history, William Peace is now investing more in online programs geared toward working adults and growing its number of transfer students with community college partnerships.
The university, which transitioned from a two-year to four-year school in the 1990s, is also considering adding graduate programs.
“We are diversifying our revenue streams and our enrollment pipelines,” said President Lynn Morton.
These changes come amid an increasingly challenging environment for higher education, especially small private colleges.
Elon University recently agreed to merge with Queens University of Charlotte as the latter experiences financial challenges. Earlier this year, St. Andrews University, a small private college in Laurinburg, closed. Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh has struggled financially for years, accumulating millions of dollars of debt and jeopardizing its accreditation.
And beyond closures and mergers, many small colleges are showing signs of financial distress.
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