{"id":4052,"date":"2025-10-29T10:30:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niacc.edu\/niacc-minute\/?p=4052"},"modified":"2025-10-29T10:33:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:33:43","slug":"the-aspen-institute-names-niacc-as-a-top-200-u-s-community-college-eligible-for-the-2027-aspen-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niacc.edu\/niacc-minute\/2025\/10\/the-aspen-institute-names-niacc-as-a-top-200-u-s-community-college-eligible-for-the-2027-aspen-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"The Aspen Institute Names NIACC as a Top 200 U.S.\u00a0Community College Eligible for the 2027 Aspen Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON D.C., October 28, 2025 <\/strong>\u2013 Today, the Aspen Institute named NIACC as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation\u2019s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The 200 colleges were selected based on their student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor\u2019s attainment rates. Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Together, these 200 colleges represent the breadth and diversity of the community college sector. They are located in urban, rural, and suburban areas across the country and serve anywhere from a few hundred students to tens of thousands. Some of these colleges focus primarily on workforce programs, while others focus on transfer and bachelor\u2019s attainment or a combination of the two.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Aspen Prize rewards colleges that achieve the kind of outcomes that actually matter to students\u2014completing college degree programs that, in turn, lead to lifelong success,\u201d said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. \u201cAspen Prize winners offer a powerful message: Community colleges can deliver the kind of life-changing education that makes the American Dream real.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community colleges educate nearly six million students. Yet community college student outcomes fall short in both the rate at which students graduate and the percentage of students who achieve success after graduation. The Aspen Prize process identifies and celebrates community colleges that demonstrate that achieving stronger outcomes is possible, providing a roadmap of effective practices and strategies for other colleges to follow.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 200 eligible colleges have been invited to submit an application and participate in a rigorous review process that will culminate in the naming of the Aspen Prize winner in spring 2027. Over the coming 20 months, the colleges that apply for the Aspen Prize will be assessed based on (1) student outcomes data, ranging from student transfer and completion rates to employment and wages after graduation and (2) whether they have engaged in scaled practices that led to high and improving student outcomes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmong these 200 colleges are some really special places that deliver strong and improving outcomes for students across the board,\u201d Wyner said. \u201cOur job over the coming 20 months is to gather a lot more data and work with a deep bench of field experts to assess which of these 200 stand out so we can not only honor them with a monetary award, but drive attention to the most effective field practices that other colleges can replicate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first time since the inception of the Aspen Prize that 200 colleges are eligible to apply, growing from 150. This year, in addition to publicly available federal data, over 600 colleges authorized the use of National Student Clearinghouse data on their institution\u2019s degree completion, transfer, and bachelor\u2019s attainment rates for full- and part-time students.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full list can be accessed on the Aspen Prize homepage<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next steps in the process include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n