Marymount California University will close this summer, its board of trustees announced Friday.
The liberal arts school, located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of Los Angeles, says it has been struggling in recent years amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The school specifically cited declining enrollment, rising costs, and the pandemic as reasons behind the closure.
"This decision was not made lightly. But we felt the most compassionate thing to do was to give everyone time to make plans. Our focus now will be to help our students, faculty and staff," said Brian Marcotte, the university’s president.
Marymount California, which has 500 full-time students and 140 full-time staff, said classes will conclude with the end of the summer term in August. Its final day will be August 31, 2022.
In the meantime, Marymount California will work on transitioning students to other colleges and universities for the fall semester and find new work for faculty and staff.
Only a small number of employees will remain after classes end to manage the closure.
The institution lasted for more than 50 years before news of its impending closure.