How to Get a Transcript from a Closed College or University

When a US college closes, your transcript doesn't disappear — federal and state law require records to be transferred to a custodian. Finding the right custodian is the hard part. Here's the process for the most common scenarios.

Step 1: Confirm the school is actually closed

Some colleges merge, rebrand, or operate teach-out partnerships under different names. Search the NCES College Navigator for the school. If it's there with a "closed" status, the database will list a successor or records custodian.

Step 2: Identify the custodian

US transcript records typically go to one of:

• The state's higher education agency — most common for state-licensed for-profits.
• An accreditor's record-keeping partner — for some regionally accredited schools.
• A successor institution — if the closed school was acquired or merged.
• Parchment's "Closed Schools" archive — Parchment hosts records for hundreds of closed institutions, including ITT Tech, Brightwood, Corinthian Colleges, Argosy, and many others.

Step 3: Order through the right channel

If your school's records are at Parchment, search "[school name] Parchment closed" and you'll typically reach an order page identical to the one your school used. Cost is usually $10–$30, and electronic delivery is supported.

If your records are with a state agency, expect a paper-only process and a 4–8 week turnaround. Most state agencies provide a downloadable request form on their website.

Specific high-volume cases

ITT Technical Institute

Records are administered by the Indiana State Board for Proprietary Education. Order through their website; expect 4–6 weeks.

Corinthian Colleges (Everest, Heald, WyoTech)

Records went to Parchment via the school's accreditor. Search "Corinthian transcript Parchment" — orders are typically delivered electronically within 7–10 business days.

Argosy University and the Dream Center schools

Records were transferred to multiple custodians depending on campus. The receiver is searchable on the US Department of Education's "Closed Schools" lookup.

The Art Institutes

Records for closed AI campuses are held by Parchment under the Education Principle Foundation.

If you can't find your records

Contact the US Department of Education's Closed School discharge line, the state higher education agency where the school operated, and the school's regional accreditor. One of the three will know the custodian. Document each call — you'll need a paper trail if you eventually need a Closed School Loan Discharge or to substitute non-transcript proof of enrollment.

What to do if the receiving school needs the transcript urgently

Tell the receiving institution upfront that the sending school is closed and you're working with a state custodian. Most receiving schools will conditionally admit you and accept a custodian-issued transcript on a longer timeline, especially if you can produce alternate evidence (diploma, employment records showing degree).