Bacone College closes after 145 years

Bacone College, Oklahoma’s oldest continuously operating college, has closed after 145 years due to financial collapse and mounting governance issues. The private, nonprofit institution in Muskogee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2025 and was later forced into liquidation after a federal judge converted the case to Chapter 7, according to Higher Ed Dive.

The Higher Learning Commission revoked Bacone’s accreditation in July, citing the absence of dedicated faculty, insufficient funds and the suspension of new enrollment. A U.S. bankruptcy trustee accused college leadership of “gross mismanagement,” including a $16,500 payment on a loan allegedly taken out in the president’s name. The institution, originally chartered by the Muscogee-Creek Nation in 1880, had long struggled to retain Native students and meet federal requirements for tribal college status, according to Higher Ed Dive.