2 Pacific Northwest Arts Colleges Will Merge

The boards of Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Oregon College of Art and Craft have voted to merge, The Oregonian reported.

The Portland, Ore., colleges opted to combine in an effort to become more competitive and stay financially stable in a higher education landscape where many small colleges are closing. Enrollment at Pacific Northwest College of Art is higher than it has been in the past seven years at 512 students, and enrollment at the Oregon College of Art and Craft has remained steady around 140 students.

Officials are working on a new name for the school, and they expect some job losses.