Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence

The $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence is the nation’s signature recognition for America’s community colleges—as one U.S. president called it, “basically the Oscars for great community colleges.” The Prize is rooted in deep research into colleges that achieve excellent and improving student outcomes, uncovering models of excellence that Aspen shares with the field and embeds in our professional development programs.

Introduction  |   Application Status  |   Top 200 Announced  |   Aspen Prize  |   2025 Aspen Prize Ceremony  |   Selection Process  |   Winners and Finalists By Year  |   Round One Data Model Update  |   Related Resources

Introduction

The $1 million Aspen Prize – awarded every two years – recognizes excellent community colleges that achieve high and improving levels of student success in several areas, including teaching and learning; certificate and degree completion; transfer and bachelor’s attainment; workforce success; and college and program access. Aspen Prize winners and finalists are selected based on three rounds of intensive data analysis and qualitative research by independent experts and selection committees. The effective practices and models of excellence uncovered during the Prize process are shared with the field through open-access assessment tools and publications, conference presentations, and an extensive set of professional development programs, including Aspen presidential fellowships and Aspen’s state and system partnerships.  The Aspen Prize is supported by Ascendium and the Joyce Foundation.

Applications Open

Applications are now open! Eligible institutions have been notified via email. If you haven’t received a message, check the full list of eligible colleges to confirm your institution’s status.

2027 Aspen Prize Top 200 Announced

The Top 200 institutions eligible to apply for the 2027 Aspen Prize have been announced! These colleges represent the amazing potential of America’s community colleges as engines of prosperity and social mobility.

List of 200 Eligible Institutions See the Press Announcement

2025 Aspen Prize

Winner / $700,000 Award
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (WI)
Driven by a mission to ensure every student achieves success, Southwest Tech has not only boosted graduation rates but also redesigned programs to equip graduates with the skills needed for high-demand, good-paying jobs in the region, ensuring long-term career success.

Finalists with Distinction / $100,000 Awards
San Jacinto College (TX)
Driven by a commitment to industry collaboration, San Jacinto has redefined employer partnerships, aligning curriculum with workforce needs and securing sustained investments in state-of-the-art facilities and programs in maritime tech, healthcare, and petrochemical processing.

South Puget Sound Community College (WA)
Guided by a commitment to meeting local workforce needs, SPSCC expanded clinical placements to graduate more nurses and improved workforce programs by shortening duration and advocating for higher wages.

Rising Star / $100,000 Award
Wallace State Community College-Hanceville (AL)
Consistently graduating well-prepared students for in-demand jobs in welding, healthcare, manufacturing, and trucking, Wallace State has inspired employer investments, ensuring students from Appalachian communities gain the equipment and work-based experiences needed for success in a growing job market.

Access the 2025 Aspen Prize Publication See the Press Announcement

2025 Aspen Prize Ceremony

On April 17, 2025, we hosted an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to announce the winners of the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. 

The event recording spotlights 10 colleges that show outstanding performance in several areas of student outcomes: student learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, and employment and earnings after graduation. The winner, two finalists with distinction, and rising star—along with the six finalists—demonstrate what is possible at America’s approximately 1,000 community colleges.

Watch the awards ceremony, featuring Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), John B. King, Jr., and Timothy O'Shaughnessy, President and CEO of Graham Holdings.

Selection Process

To award the Aspen Prize, the College Excellence Program engages in a rigorous two-year-long process, beginning with an assessment of student outcomes at nearly 1,000 U.S. community colleges and inviting 200 to apply for Aspen Prize consideration. The selection committee scores the applications to determine 20 to 25 semifinalists. The committee then selects 10 finalists, and a prominent Aspen Prize Jury chooses the winner. Throughout the process, Aspen and higher education experts analyze a range of quantitative data, evaluate detailed applications from colleges, and interview a wide range of stakeholders at colleges.

Winners and Finalists by Year

Round One Data Model Update

Join over 600 community colleges that have helped us improve our data collection. By granting Aspen access to your National Student Clearinghouse data, we can better identify colleges with strong outcomes. Simply sign the Adobe e-form and confirm your email address when prompted. Information provided through the permission agreement will remain confidential. By collecting NSC data, Aspen will be able to enhance its free benchmarking tool that allows colleges to compare their outcomes to others in the field, helping them identify strengths and areas for improvement. For additional information, please review our FAQ document.

Questions?

For questions on the Round One Data Model, please contact Ben Barrett at ben.barrett@aspeninstitute.org

Related Resources

Funders

The Aspen Prize is made possible by generous support from:
Ascendium Education Group
The Joyce Foundation

Contact Us

For more information, please contact: Rebecca Lavinson, Program Manager