The Aspen Institute Names ECC as a Top 200 Community College — Eligible for 2027 Aspen Prize
On Oct. 28, the Aspen Institute named East Central College as one of 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges.
From approximately 1,000 community colleges nationwide, the Aspen Institute identified 200 with the strongest student outcomes in areas such as retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates.
Colleges do not apply to be considered for eligibility; selection is based solely on national data analysis of student success and outcomes. Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize. The selection process will conclude in spring 2027, when the Aspen Institute will name the winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff who work every day to help students achieve their goals,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, president of East Central College. “It affirms the progress we continue to make in student success and reinforces our commitment to strengthening the communities we serve.”
Together, these 200 colleges represent the breadth and diversity of the community college sector. They are 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’s attainment or a combination of the two.
“The Aspen Prize rewards colleges that achieve the kind of outcomes that actually matter to students—completing college degree programs that, in turn, lead to lifelong success,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Aspen Prize winners offer a powerful message: Community colleges can deliver the kind of life-changing education that makes the American Dream real.”
Community colleges educate nearly 6 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.
The 200 eligible colleges have been invited to apply 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.
“Among these 200 colleges are some really special places that deliver strong and improving outcomes for students across the board,” Wyner said. “Our 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.”
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, more than 600 colleges authorized the use of National Student Clearinghouse data on their institution’s degree completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates for full- and part-time students.
The full list can be accessed on the Aspen Prize homepage.
The next steps in the process include:
• Nov. 13/Dec. 9, 2025: Application deadlines for the 2027 Prize
• April 2026: Announcement of 25 semifinalists, selected based on assessments of extensive data and the application by a group of 11 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce
• June 2026: Announcement of 10 finalists, selected by the same group of experts
• Fall 2026: Collection of additional data from the 10 finalists, including employment and earnings data for graduates from 2020 and 2025, as well as qualitative assessments of practices by field experts during multi-day site visits to each of the 10 finalists
• February 2027: The Aspen Prize winner selected by a distinguished, independent jury
• Spring 2027: Announcement of the Aspen Prize winner and celebration of the 10 finalists at an event in Washington, D.C.
To read more about the selection process, visit as.pn/prize.
