News & UpdatesOn Tuesday, the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence program announced the 150 institutions that are eligible to apply for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions for community colleges.
Awarded every two years, the $1 million prize aims to spotlight exemplary colleges and highlight their contributions to their students and their communities, and to share leading ideas and innovations from top colleges to advance student success and close equity gaps.
Of the 150 colleges eligible to compete for the 2023 Aspen Prize, many are active members of the ATD Network, the nation’s largest non-governmental reform movement for student success and educational equity. Spanning a dozen states, these institutions represent the diversity of the ATD Network and of the community college sector as a whole. Their commitment to equitable student success is a defining characteristic of the ATD Network and we are proud to see their efforts recognized.
Four past Leah Meyer Austin Award winners are eligible institutions this year, including winner William Rainey Harper College (2016,) Pierce College District (2017), Amarillo College (2019), Northwest Vista College (Alamo Colleges District) (2020), and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (2021).
Over the years, 17 other Network colleges have been Aspen Prize winners, Top Ten Finalists, or awarded special recognition.
The active ATD Network colleges eligible to apply for the 2023 Aspen Prize for College Excellence are:
- Amarillo College (TX)
- Anne Arundel Community College (MD)
- Athens Technical College (GA)
- Bakersfield College (CA)
- Broward College (FL)
- Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
- East Mississippi Community College (MS)
- Elgin Community College (IL)
- Florida State College at Jacksonville (FL)
- Highline College (WA)
- Kingsborough Community College (CUNY) (NY)
- LaGuardia Community College (NY)
- Lakeshore Technical College (WI)
- Lee College (TX)
- Leech Lake Tribal College (MN)
- Mira Costa College (CA)
- Northcentral Technical College (WI)
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (WI)
- Northwest Vista College (Alamo Colleges District) (TX)
- Palm Beach State College (FL)
- Pierce College District (WA)
- Renton Technical College (WA)
- San Jacinto College (TX)
- Southwest Texas Junior College (TX)
- Tallahassee Community College (FL)
- West Hills College-Lemoore (CA)
- Western Technical College (WI)
- William Rainey Harper College (IL)
To see the full list of eligible institutions, visit as.pn/prize.