Two Catholic colleges in Iowa merging to reduce costs, expand offerings

NPR | By Elissa Nadworny

Published July 4, 2025 at 5:05 AM EDT

Some religious colleges and universities in the U.S. are in trouble and are cutting programs. Others are seeking mergers to reduce costs and expand offerings

This story about religious colleges and universities was produced in collaboration with The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. You can read the digital version of the story here.

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Elissa Nadworny

Elissa Nadworny is an NPR Correspondent, covering higher education.

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