About
Saint Augustine's University is a private unaccredited historically Black Christian college in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2026, it filed for bankruptcy and discontinued academic degree offerings, subsequently suspending all educational activities. Founded in 1867 by Episcopal Church clergy to educate formerly enslaved Black people, Saint Augustine's has traditionally focused its mission around first-generation college students and students "who otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity" to receive a college education. Over its history, it progressively evolved from a normal school to a junior college to a four-year liberal arts institution.
From the early 1990s, Saint Augustine's was challenged by legal problems, low graduation rates, significant enrollment declines, and corresponding revenue shortfalls. Following years of serious financial mismanagement and general instability, the institution's accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) derecognized it for noncompliance on July 14, 2025, automatically revoking its accreditation. Although a subsequent injunction temporarily secured its provisional accreditation, Saint Augustine's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 27, 2026 due to its dire fiscal crisis. The institution discontinued its degree programs and reverted to unaccredited status after May 15, ultimately suspending all educational activities.