Lourdes University is a private, Sisters of St. Francis-sponsored institution in Sylvania, Ohio, that announced it will close after the 2025-26 academic year.
Lourdes University is a private institution sponsored by The Sisters of St. Francis. It is located at 6832 Convent Blvd. in Sylvania, Ohio. The university is committed to the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual development of its students.
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, after deliberation with the Board of Trustees, the Sisters of St. Francis resolved that the university will conclude operations at the end of the current academic year. The university will continue to honor its commitments to students and faculty through the remainder of the academic year.
Lourdes University is accredited by nine national and regional academic organizations. Undergraduate majors range from arts and sciences to business and leadership. Pre-professional pathways are sets of courses that prepare students for specific careers such as law or medicine while they major in a complementary area. Graduate programs are offered onsite, hybrid, or online.
The Franciscan Center is a rental facility within the Lourdes University campus, spanning more than 19,000 square feet. The venue is suited to wedding receptions, meetings, parties, trade shows, and seminars. The university offers an athletics program with intercollegiate sports.
Lourdes University athletic teams are nicknamed the Gray Wolves and compete within the NAIA's Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Student-athletes follow Franciscan values of community, learning, reverence, and service, along with the NAIA Champions of Character tenets of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.