The Aspen Institute Names Rappahannock Community College as a Top 200 U.S. Community College Eligible for the 2027 Aspen Prize
$1 Million Prize Honors Colleges Achieving Strong Student Results, Both in College and After Graduation
Today, the Aspen Institute named Rappahannock Community College (RCC) 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.
“This recognition by the Aspen Institute highlights what makes RCC so special—our unwavering focus on student success. We will continue to build pathways that help our students complete their degrees, transfer successfully, and achieve meaningful careers that strengthen our communities,” said RCC President Dr. Shannon Kennedy.
Together, these 200 colleges represent the breadth and diversity of the community college sector. They are 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.
The 200 eligible colleges have been invited to apply 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 (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.”
This is the first time since the inception of the Aspen Prize that 200 colleges are eligible to apply, growing from 150. This year, in addition to publicly available federal data, over 600 colleges authorized the use of National Student Clearinghouse data on their institution’s degree completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates for full- and part-time students. The full list and more information can be accessed on the Aspen Prize homepage.
The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium Education Philanthropy and the Joyce Foundation.
Previous winners are:
- 2025: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (WI)
- 2023: Amarillo College (TX) and Imperial Valley College (CA)
- 2021: San Antonio College (TX)
- 2019: Indian River State College (FL) and Miami Dade College (FL)
- 2017: Lake Area Technical Institute (SD)
- 2015: Santa Fe College (FL)
- 2013: Santa Barbara City College (CA) & Walla Walla Community College (WA)
- 2011: Valencia College (FL)
Note: Colleges that have won the Aspen Prize are not eligible to apply in subsequent years.
CONTACT: Kristin O’Keefe, 240-351-8531, kristin.okeefe@aspeninstitute.org; Michele Inderrieden, 804-333-6824, minderrieden@rappahannock.edu
Rappahannock Community College (RCC) has been opening doors to opportunity across Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck since 1970 and is the only postsecondary institution in the 12-county service region. The College offers two transfer degrees with seven majors, associate in applied science degree in criminal justice, business, nursing, diagnostic medical sonography, and engineering. RCC also offers certificates in high-demand fields and 16 industry-recognized certifications in short-term programs. The College serves approximately 3,000 credit students and 500 credential students each semester. RCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
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. For more information, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X.