News & Updates
On June 9, the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence program announced 10 finalists for the $1 million 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor are chosen for having high and improving levels of student success across several areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and college and program access.
Among the 10 finalists named, seven are colleges within the Achieving the Dream Network. They are as follows:
- Chippewa Valley Technical College (Wisconsin)
- Forsyth Technical Community College (North Carolina)
- Lorain County Community College (Ohio)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (Virginia)
- Stanly Community College (North Carolina)
- Tallahassee State College (Florida)
- Wallace State Community College-Hanceville (Alabama)
The three additional colleges named as finalists are as follows:
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Mississippi)
- South Puget Sound Community College (Washington)
- Tri-County Technical College (South Carolina)
Achieving the Dream President and CEO Dr. Karen A. Stout commented on the high percentage of ATD Network institutions among the finalists. “It is especially gratifying to see so many Achieving the Dream colleges recognized among the Aspen Top 10,” she said. “Their achievements reflect years of disciplined work, courageous leadership, and an unwavering focus on student outcomes. While no single initiative creates excellence, participation in Achieving the Dream was foundational in helping many of these colleges build the culture that led to their transformational outcomes and that made this recognition possible.”
Tallahassee State College (2022), Lorain County Community College (2020), and Patrick & Henry Community College (2015) are previous winners of Achieving the Dream’s Leah Meyer Austin Award (LMA), the highest distinction an ATD college can earn. The 10 finalists were selected from a list of 25 semi-finalists, announced on April 29 — 12 of which are Achieving the Dream Network institutions.
The Aspen Prize selection process began in October 2025, when Aspen applied a formula assessing student outcomes to select 200 colleges and invite them to apply for the prize. From the 170 that applied, a 15-member independent selection committee made selections based on comprehensive outcomes data and evidence of the practices that led to those outcomes. In fall 2026, teams of experts will conduct in-depth site visits to each finalist institution and review additional data. The Aspen Prize winner will be selected by an independent Aspen Prize Jury and announced in April 2027.