The Aspen Institute Names Clark as Top 200 Community College

Clark eligible to compete for the 2027 $1 million Aspen Prize

Pictured: Dr. Edwards with group of Dental Hygiene graduates

The Aspen Institute recently named Clark 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. 

“Clark College is honored to be recognized among the top community colleges in the country by the Aspen Institute. This recognition affirms our ongoing commitment to equitable student success and the transformative power of education. At Clark, student success means more than earning a degree—it’s about creating pathways to opportunity for every learner,” said Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards. “This recognition from the Aspen Institute reflects the dedication of our staff and faculty and their ongoing work to close equity gaps, uplift our students, and strengthen our community through education.”

In 2021-22, Dr. Edwards was a fellow in the Aspen Community College Excellence Program for new presidents.

Together, the 200 colleges—six of them in Washington state—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 student outcomes fall short in graduation and post-graduation success. 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.  

As a next step, Clark College, among the 200 eligible colleges, has been invited to submit an application and participate in a rigorous review process culminating 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.” 

Eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data demonstrating strong and improving student outcomes in first-to-second year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates. The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium Education Philanthropy and the Joyce Foundation.

To identify the 200, Aspen updated its data model—including new measures for part-time degree completion, transfer rates, and bachelor’s attainment—adding data from the National Student Clearinghouse to existing federal data sets. 

Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize. Nationwide, about 20% of community colleges—200 of just under 1,000 public two-year colleges—were invited to apply this cycle, an increase from the 150 institutions in previous years. The full list can be accessed on the Aspen Prize homepage. 

Learn more about the Aspen Institute

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.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Story by Maureen Hefflin, Director of Communications, Communications & Marketing