Brightwood College latest for-profit school to close doors in Dayton area

An area for-profit college that is part of a national chain abruptly shut down this week.

Education Corp. of America announced Wednesday it was closing schools operating as Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Ecotech Institute, Golf Academy of America and Virginia College at more than 70 locations in 21 states after its accrediting agency suspended approval.

Brightwood College had a location at 2800 E. River Road in Dayton. Its website did not mention it was closed, though the school previously announced it was not enrolling new students effective Sept. 10.

Friday was scheduled to be the last day of classes at most locations and students will get academic credit for this term, ECA spokeswoman Diane Worthington said. But, in some cases students reported that school operations ceased immediately.

Nationally ECA schools set to close enrolled somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 students. The Brightwood College social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all been deleted.

Education Corp.’s decision to shutter some of its schools comes in the wake of a number of issues and closures of forprofit colleges in recent years.

After 100 years in Dayton, Miami-Jacobs announced in July 2016 it would no longer accept new students at its Dayton, Springboro, Troy and Sharonville campuses. The Art Institute of Ohio in Cincinnati and Brown Mackie College in Cincinnati and Findlay also stopped accepting new students.

ITT Technical Institute announced in September 2016 that it would close all of its 130 locations, including its nine facilities in Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati. Contact this reporter at 937225-7419 or email Max.Filby@ coxinc.com.