Fontbonne announces it will close in fall of 2025; QU working on agreement to become teach-out institution

QUINCY — Quincy University officials say they are ready to “welcome and provide financial assistance” to any transfer student from Fontbonne University after the 100-year-old Catholic academic institution announced Monday it will close in the fall of 2025 and sell the 16-acre campus to Washington University.

After struggling with declining enrollments and budget deficits for years, “the financial position of the university was determined to be unsustainable for the long term,” according to a Fontbonne press release Monday.

“We applaud Fontbonne for announcing their closure over a year in advance and for giving their community ample time to prepare for this significant transition,” QU President Brian McGee said in a press release. “Fontbonne University has provided an outstanding Catholic and faith-based education to generations of students in our region, and we honor the Fontbonne faculty and staff who have done so much for so many.” 

Quincy and Fontbonne are currently working to make Quincy University a designated teach-out institution for Fontbonne. 

“With our colleagues at Saint Louis University, Quincy University will continue to provide an exceptional Catholic educational option for students in the greater St. Louis region,” McGee said. “We invite any high-school or transfer student who previously considered Fontbonne to explore all that Quincy University has to offer.” 

For more information, visit www.quincy.edu/fontbonne or contact Kimberly Hale, teach-out coordinator (contingent on a final agreement with Fontbonne) or Amy Stollberg, associate dean of transfer admission, at 217-222-8020 or fontbonne@quincy.edu.