Wallace State Community College Shines as Semifinalist in National $1 Million Aspen Prize Competition

Wallace State Community College (WSCC) has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, awarded by the Aspen Institute. This places WSCC among the top 20 community colleges in the United States, competing for a $1 million prize that recognizes outstanding student achievements during and after college. The Aspen Prize acknowledges community colleges that achieve high and improving student success rates, especially in serving diverse and underrepresented student groups.

The Aspen Institute uses a detailed set of criteria to evaluate community colleges. These include the effectiveness of teaching and learning, rates of certificate and degree completion, successful student transfers to four-year institutions, workforce success, accessibility, and equitable outcomes for students of color and low-income students. WSCC's selection as a semifinalist reflects its commitment to these areas, as highlighted by WSCC President Vicki Karolewics. Under her leadership, the college has consistently been recognized for its performance, including being ranked among the top 150 colleges by the Aspen Institute four times.

The selection process for the Aspen Prize started in October 2023, with 150 community colleges invited to apply based on their strong and equitable student outcomes. Of these, 118 colleges submitted applications, which were reviewed by a committee of 18 higher education experts. The committee analyzed data and narrative responses from each college and conducted interviews with the leadership teams of the top-scoring colleges, leading to the selection of 20 semifinalists, including WSCC.

In June 2024, the Aspen Institute will narrow the list to 10 finalists. These finalists will receive in-person site visits in fall 2024 to collect more data, including employment and earnings outcomes for graduates. The final winner, to be announced in spring 2025, will be chosen based on this comprehensive review.

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