On April 24th the Middle States Commission On Higher Education released a receipt for a change request for Marymount Manhattan College. The change request which “includes a merger with Northeastern University becoming the sole member of Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) and the surviving institution” will be effective June 30, 2025. At the time of the merger, student records, programs, and services will transfer from MMC to Northeastern University.
At this point, approval is now dependent on the New York State Education Department.
What this means for MMC students and the “hand raising” process to declare interest in joining NU is not yet known. More information will likely be given at the conversation with Northeastern University’s Dean of Students Chong Kim-Wong and Leland Clark, Director of Global Student Success on April 29th at 4pm in the Intercultural Center and and on April 30th at 1pm in the Regina Peruggi Room.
Update at 3p.m. (published 9:05a.m.): An email was sent to the student body by President Peter Naccarato on Apr. 29 at 1:40 p.m. The email outlines that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), MMC’s accrediting agency, approved the Complex Substantive Change Request. This means the merger will move forward pending federal approval. Naccarato outlined the steps as follows:
As a reminder, there are two steps to the merger process:
- Step 1 (Change of Ownership): This is when Northeastern assumes ownership of Marymount Manhattan College.
- Step 2 (Merger): This is when MMC merges with NU and becomes Northeastern — New York City.
He states that the hope is to complete step one by the end of June. The letter is copied below:
Dear MMC Community,
I am writing to share news of an important step forward regarding our planned merger with Northeastern University.
At the end of last week, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), MMC’s accrediting agency, approved our Complex Substantive Change Request.
What does this mean? It means MSCHE is giving us the green light to move forward with the merger pending additional required regulatory approvals. Those italics are important; MSCHE is not the only entity who must approve us moving forward. There are additional approvals required by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the US Department of Education.
As a reminder, there are two steps to the merger process:
Step 1 (Change of Ownership): This is when Northeastern assumes ownership of Marymount Manhattan College.
Step 2 (Merger): This is when MMC merges with NU and becomes Northeastern — New York City.
Before we can complete Step 1, we need additional approval from NYSED, which we hope to receive sometime in June. If this is the case, we would be able to complete Step 1 by the end of June.
While completing Step 1 is an important part of the process, it will have a minimal impact on our students’ experience. We will continue to operate as Marymount Manhattan College; our usual day-to-day activities will continue. Our Fall 2025 semester will proceed as it typically does.
The timeline for Step 2 remains uncertain, as it will require additional approval by the US Department of Education. We expect that securing this approval will take several months, but we cannot project a specific date as to when the merger will be implemented. For now, we continue to work with our Northeastern partners to ensure that whenever Step 2 does take place, we will provide the smoothest possible transition for our students, faculty, and staff members.
I will continue to update you as new information becomes available. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit the MMC and Northeastern webpage, where we continue to update FAQs.
