Today, the Aspen Institute named Pierce 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.
“Our recognition as an Aspen Prize Top 200 college is evidence that our commitment to advancing equitable student success is helping more people change the trajectory of their lives,” said Chancellor and CEO Julie White, Ph.D. “Student success is at the heart of everything we do at Pierce College, and we’re gratified that the Aspen Institute recognizes our work.”
Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize. In 2019, Pierce College was named a finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, placing it in the Top 5 community colleges in the nation. Pierce College was also in the Top 10 for the 2021 Aspen Prize, and a Top 25 semifinalist for the 2023 award. Pierce College joins six other Washington community and technical colleges in the top 200 including Bellevue College, Clark College, Everett Community College, Highline College, and South Puget Sound Community College.
“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.”
The 200 eligible colleges have been invited to submit an application 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 student outcomes data, ranging from student transfer and completion rates to employment and wages after graduation, as well as whether they have engaged in scaled practices that led to high and improving student outcomes.
Pierce College, serving more than 14,000 students annually, is a two-college district with campuses at Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup, along with teaching centers at Joint Base Lewis McChord, and extension sites across Pierce County. For more information, visit our website.
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, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org.