About Us

Our Mission

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to strengthen higher education leadership and practice to improve student outcomes—with the ultimate goal of advancing economic mobility and developing talent for the good of each individual and society as a whole.

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How We Work

Identify and Elevate Excellent Colleges

We use data to identify colleges achieving high, improving, and equitable levels of student success, and drive attention to those colleges so that others can see what’s possible.

Investigate Effective Practices

We conduct quantitative and qualitative research to deeply understand what improves student outcomes and how institutional leaders scale and sustain reforms, synthesizing those insights into frameworks that are embedded in practical tools for reform.

Equip the Field to Replicate What Works

We provide institutional leaders and their teams with open-access tools—playbooks, assessments, data reports, case studies, and more—to ground their pursuit of excellence and equity in proven strategies for reform.

Develop and Support College Leaders

We deliver professional development to college presidents, senior leaders, trustees, and teams aiming to scale strategies, capacities, and partnerships that advance excellence and equity in student success.

Our Impact

Since our inception in 2011, the College Excellence Program has had one central goal: advancing excellence and equity in student outcomes at institutions of higher education. We advance that goal through multiple programs, including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the American Talent Initiative, the Aspen Presidents and Rising Presidents Fellowships, Unlocking Opportunity, and a range of transfer initiatives designed to improve bachelor’s attainment for students who start in community college. Each year, our work engages hundreds of college leaders at universities and community colleges that educate millions of students nationwide. 

Here are a few specific examples of our engagement and impact (as of fall 2024):

By the Numbers

  • 105
    Rising Presidents Fellowship alumni have become presidents; alumni are substantially more diverse by gender and race than other community college presidents.
  • 100
    Sitting community college presidents have engaged in Aspen’s Presidents Fellowship program to improve student outcomes so that more succeed after graduation.
  • $500+ Million
    Amount donated by a prominent philanthropist to colleges that were finalists for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
  • 139
    Number of four-year colleges and universities that are members of the American Talent Initiative (ATI), each setting concrete goals for enrolling more lower-income students.
  • 18,100
    Additional students from lower-income backgrounds enrolled in American Talent Initiative (ATI) member institutions since ATI’s inception in 2016.
  • 200
    University and college presidents and teams engaged in intensive professional development programs designed to develop concrete plans to improve transfer outcomes.
  • 2,000+
    Community college leaders who have taken part in Aspen professional development programs aimed at improving student success outcomes during and after college.

Our People

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has a team of ~35 staff members. Each team member is committed to improving student outcomes in higher education, working collaboratively with each other and external partners to root our efforts in strong evidence, consider the context of college leaders and teams with whom we engage, and advance positive outcomes for students and the colleges that educate them. We value diversity to enrich our work and help us understand the leaders and the colleges we research and support. And we strive to maintain a positive work environment that fosters personal and professional growth for team members.

Meet our Staff and Senior Fellows

Our Supporters

We are honored to have as supporting partners many national and regional philanthropies dedicated to ensuring that the Aspen College Excellence Program can advance our mission. Our philanthropic supporters are essential thought partners in helping the College Excellence Program continuously improve our approach to advancing student success.

See our Funding Partners