Unison, the National Union of Students and the University and College Union, which represents academic staff, claim that nursery provision is seen as 'a soft target' and that most of the closures appear to be taking place with minimal or no consultation.
The unions have produced an action pack to help staff and students fight closures.
They say the closures go against the Government's aim to bring more mature students into higher education, which is likely to see a rise in the demand for nursery places at universities and colleges.
The unions said planned closures follow spending cuts to the further education and skills sector of more than £340m this year.
Denise Bertuchi, assistant national officer at Unison, said, 'There is a looming crisis in higher and further education if the trend continues to close nurseries. I don't think employers realise the strength of feeling from students and staff.'
She said the threat to campus nurseries had exposed 'a chasm between theory and practice' among universities and colleges, which published 'prospectuses extolling opportunities for the community'.
Wes Streeting, president of the NUS, said, 'In the current economic climate, with the prospect of many people losing their jobs and having to learn new skills in order to pursue a different line of work, it is essential that we understand how difficult it can be for those with children to cope with the demands of college or university.'
Snapdragons nursery at Wiltshire College in Chippenham is the latest casualty, axed last month because the university said it needed more teaching space.
The college is now the main provider of further and higher education in Wiltshire, according to its website, following a merger with Salisbury College last year, and has over 3,300 full-time students and 6,000 part-time students.
Local press reported that prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Duncan Hames has backed the campaign to save the nursery and has approached Wiltshire Council to see if a new home for a replacement nursery can be found on land near the college.
Last week more than 600 parents handed a petition to the council.
As Nursery World has reported, nurseries, unions and student parents have been campaigning across the country to save nurseries at universities and colleges.They have had mixed success with their efforts.
Stoke-on-Trent College nursery had been under threat as part of plans to save £1m and cut jobs across the college, but will now stay open after a three-month campaign (News, 30 July).
Some college nurseries have been saved by outside providers stepping in to rescue them.
Last month, Tops Day Nurseries took over the running of the Isle of Wight College nursery, which had been earmarked for closure because the college said it was no longer financially viable (News, 13 August).
A grandmother in Barrow-in-Furness has come up with plans to re-open the Furness College Day Nursery at a new site, after it was closed by the college in July (News, 13 August).
Meanwhile, Unison, along with nursery staff and students, is fighting to save two nurseries at the University of Westminster, which were due to close in September (News, 23 July).
The consultation period on the nursery closures has been extended, but the threat remains and they could close at Christmas, Unison said.
- For a Save Our Nurseries campaign pack, visit the unions' websites or email education@unison.org.uk, rcurley@ucu.org.uk or student.parents@nus.org.uk.
