Northwestern College in Oak Lawn abruptly closes after 122 years

Northwestern College in suburban Oak Lawn has announced it will permanently close its doors, effective immediately.

The 122 year-old institution, which has no affiliation with Northwestern University in Evanston, released a statement Friday attributing the sudden closure to “careful analysis of its current and projected fiscal position.”

According to WGN, the for-profit university was under review by the Department of Education, with the investigation disrupting the “regular flow” of student aid funding to the school.

“Northwestern College has supplied highly skilled professionals to the Chicago area for over 122 years,” said the university in its statement. “...[W]hile we are saddened by the need to end our educational mission, we will maintain our legacy in the thousands of graduates that have been part of our history.”

Northwestern College students will reportedly have the option to transfer their degrees to several other area colleges including Prairie State College, Moraine Valley Community College, DeVry University, Malcolm X College, and others.

The closure of Northwestern College follows a similar trend impacting higher educational institutions across the nation. In May, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia abruptly closed, prompting massive backlash from students and staff who received little prior warning.

Other Chicago area colleges have also struggled in recent months, including Columbia College which layed off a large portion of staff amid budget issues earlier this year.