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Medaille University Permanently Closes


Serving the Western New York community and beyond since 1937 when it was first chartered as Mount Saint Joseph Teachers' College, Medaille University was a private, nonsectarian institution that provided a personalized, practitioner-based learning experience to its diverse student body of undergraduate, graduate and online students.

During its nearly 100-year history, Medaille University — formerly known as Medaille College — survived many difficult and challenging times, from World War II to several economic recessions and a global pandemic. However, in 2023, due to several factors including declining enrollment, outstanding liabilities and other challenges that are affecting colleges and universities across the region, state and nation, Medaille announced it would be closing permanently and that it would not be enrolling students for the fall 2023 semester.

The business realities that led to this extremely difficult decision were accelerated by the pandemic and by skyrocketing inflation that increased the economic burdens for the University. The population of college-aged individuals in Western New York had also been shrinking, making it hard for small private colleges like Medaille without large endowments to maintain enrollment levels. While the University worked tirelessly to establish partnerships and strengthen its financial position, unfortunately these efforts did not create results to ensure long-term viability.

Medaille held its final commencement ceremony on May 5, 2023, and officially closed on August 31, 2023. Medaille alumni — totaling over 20,000 individuals — continue to make a significant impact in their local and global communities, creating a lasting legacy for years to come.