2 Indiana community colleges eligible for 2027 Aspen Prize

WASHINGTON D.C. — Two community colleges in Indiana have been deemed eligible for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University were both named as part of the 200 community colleges eligible to compete for the Aspen Prize, according to a news release.

The $1 million prize is given by the Aspen Institute every two years as part of the “nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges.” The colleges were selected based on student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment rates.

“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,” Josh Wyner, the executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, said in the release. “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, including Ivy Tech and Vincennes University, are invited to apply for the prize, which will be awarded in the spring of 2027. The colleges that apply will be assessed on:

• Student outcomes data
  • Ranging from student transfer and completion rates to employment and wages after graduation
• Whether the institution has 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 in the release. “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.”

The release said that the 25 semifinalists will be announced in April 2026. The previous winners of the prize include:

• 2025: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Wisconsin
• 2023: Amarillo College in Texas and Imperial Valley College in California
• 2021: San Antonio College in Texas
• 2019: Indian River State College and Miami Dade College in Florida
• 2017: Lake Area Technical Institute in South Dakota
• 2015: Santa Fe College in Florida
• 2013: Santa Barbara City College in California and Walla Walla Community College in Washington
• 2011: Valencia College in Florida

The Aspen Prize was first given out in 2010, and this is its ninth cycle. For a full list of eligible institutions, click here.