Colorado Heights U. Will Close After Accreditor Loses Recognition

Colorado Heights University, a nonprofit institution in Denver, will close next year, The Denver Post reports.

The announcement follows the U.S. Department of Education’s denial of recognition to the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, the university’s accreditor. Declining enrollment also played a role in the decision to close, the Post reports.

Colorado Heights said in a statement that about 400 of its 500 students were expected to graduate from the institution, and that it would help the 100 remaining students transfer to other institutions.

Metropolitan State University of Denver planned to work with Colorado Heights in September 2015 and take over one of its campuses, but plans fell through when Metropolitan State cited financial concerns.

Correction (12/1/2016, 4:18 p.m.): This post originally mischaracterized the Colorado Heights statement. The university did not say it would help all 500 of its students transfer. It said 400 would graduate and it would help the remaining 100 transfer. The post has been updated to reflect this correction.