The 48-year-old university, which has served non-traditional and first-generation students since its founding in 1977, cited ongoing financial pressures and declining enrollment as primary factors in the decision. The institution reported enrollment of just 223 students in 2023, with only half attending full-time.
"Martin University's primary focus has always been on providing its students with an outstanding education and hiring the most qualified and talented faculty and staff possible," said Board of Trustees Chairman Joseph Perkins. "A primary need of Martin's is for more community support. This includes funding for its vast first-generation college students who are fighting courageously to make a better life for their families."
The university, located at 2186 North Sherman Drive in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood of Indianapolis, operates without an endowment and has faced mounting financial challenges that made maintaining current operations increasingly difficult, according to the board's statement.
State Representative Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) suggested that Governor Mike Braun's proposed cuts to higher education subsidies to address a $2 billion state funding gap may have contributed to Martin's financial precarity, though the institution may have anticipated reduced state support.
The announcement comes amid broader challenges facing HBCUs and PBIs nationwide. Porter noted that similar institutions across the country are confronting comparable financial and enrollment pressures.
Martin University specialized in serving working adults seeking to complete interrupted educational journeys, making it a distinctive resource in Indiana's higher education landscape. The institution's mission focused particularly on underrepresented populations and first-generation college students.
University officials stated that the board is exploring options to minimize disruption for currently enrolled students and to preserve the institution's mission of serving underrepresented populations. However, no timeline for potential reopening has been announced, and the university did not make representatives available to discuss transition plans for students and faculty.
Indianapolis City-County Councilor Ron Gibson called the closure "a difficult moment for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and for our entire city," and pledged to work with community partners and officials to identify potential solutions.
"As Indiana's only Predominantly Black Institution, Martin holds a unique and irreplaceable place in our state's history, our educational landscape, and our community's collective story," Gibson said.
The closure represents a significant loss for the Martindale-Brightwood community, where Martin University has been a cornerstone institution for nearly five decades. Former university president Dr. Sean Huddleston stepped down in November to pursue other opportunities.
Classes will conclude when the fall semester ends, leaving uncertain the future of an institution that has been central to Black higher education access in Indiana for nearly half a century.
