The University of Denver will consolidate five of its schools into two and eliminate five academic departments, the university announced this week, framing the restructuring as a way to break down silos rather than a cost-cutting exercise.
The changes come months after DU faced a projected budget deficit of up to $30 million. The university's board approved a balanced fiscal 2027 budget last week, achieved by leaving vacant staff positions unfilled and cutting expenses.
Why It Matters
Consolidation pressure in higher education is no longer limited to small, struggling colleges. DU enrolls nearly 12,000 students, holds an A-level credit rating from Fitch, and ran an overall surplus the past two fiscal years (because it was bailed out by endowment money after operating losses).
Yet it's still merging schools and shutting down departments to get ahead of enrollment and market shifts.
For current and prospective students, the immediate impact is limited: DU says there is no disruption to degree progress, and students enrolling in fall 2026 can complete their programs as planned.
By The Numbers
- 11,499 students: DU's fall 2025 headcount, down 18% from 2021.
- $354.7 million: Tuition revenue in fiscal 2025, a 2.1% year-over-year decline.
- $5.8 million: DU's fiscal 2025 operating loss, an improvement from $7.3 million the year before.
- Up to $30 million: The budget deficit DU projected before balancing its fiscal 2027 budget.
The Details
The restructuring combines five schools and colleges into two new ones:
- The Graduate School of Social Work, the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, and the Morgridge College of Education will merge into a new college focused on education, behavioral, and clinical sciences.
- The Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science will combine with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Kinesiology and Sport Studies program, creating a unit centered on science, engineering, and health innovation.
DU is also eliminating five departments, though academic programs under them will continue, according to a memo from Provost Elizabeth Loboa to employees. The religious studies and electrical and computer engineering departments are being eliminated this year, while three others (philosophy, socio-legal studies, and gender, women's, and sexuality studies) voluntarily opted to close, per a university spokesperson.
Separately, DU plans to integrate its theater, music, and dance units and create new units for language and culture programs and communication and media arts.
What They're Saying
"These strategic changes are intended to address significant market shifts, strengthening demand in a competitive market," Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and Provost Loboa said in the announcement.
How This Connects
DU isn't at risk of closing — but its restructuring reflects the same forces driving a wave of college shutdowns. Eight nonprofit colleges have already announced closures in 2026, following 16 in 2025, and a Huron Consulting Group analysis projects 442 private nonprofit colleges are at risk of closing or merging within a decade.
Proactive consolidation like DU's is what that pressure looks like at financially healthier institutions. Families weighing college choices can review the warning signs that a college is in trouble before committing.
Implementation will roll out over the next academic year, with new college names and structures still to be determined. DU plans to launch internal searches for the two inaugural deans this fall, and Loboa's memo signaled more consolidation could follow.
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Editor: Colin Graves
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