News File Photo

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, the Aspen Institute named Alpena Community College as one of the 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. The 200 colleges were selected based on their student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates. Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize.

“We’re delighted to receive this special recognition as a 2027 Aspen Prize: Top 200 institution,” said ACC President Don MacMaster. “The Aspen Prize is widely recognized as the premiere community college award nationally. It represents a milestone institutional accomplishment that’s the result of faculty, staff, and K-12 partners working together with a shared focus on the multitude of factors leading to student success. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to ACC receiving this award. Your effort makes a difference.”

John Briggs, chair of the ACC Board of Trustees, said of the Aspen Institute designation at a Top 200 Community College: “This designation from the Aspen Institute reaffirms what has been reported to us from independent sources, that ACC faculty and staff do an excellent job of preparing graduates for the world of work and transfer programs.”

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’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 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.