After the civil rights movement of the 1960s, African Americans were able to attend previously all-white, state-supported colleges and universities. As a result, Morristown College found it increasingly difficult to compete with the larger public institutions that could offer cheaper tuition and received state and federal funds. In 1959, the college ended high-school level instruction, though two years later it became the first HBCU to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a junior college. Over the next 20 years, the college continued to struggle financially as students, potential or otherwise, were drawn to other institutions and regions. In 1989, Knoxville College acquired Morristown College and began operating it as a satellite campus. However, Knoxville College also had its challenges and closed the facility in 1994.