2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Three Rural Pathways colleges are semi-finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize:
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- Northeast Community College (NE)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (VA)
Three more Rural Pathways colleges were among the 200 colleges eligible for the 2027 Prize:
- Davidson-Davie Community College (NC)
- John Wood Community College (IL)
- University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville (AR)
2026 Leah Myer Austin Award from Achieving the Dream
2025 Leah Myer Austin Award from Achieving the Dream
2026 Bellwether Award
“As my retirement date approaches … it has become clear to me that among my best and most impactful decisions was Northern’s participation in NCII’s Rural Guided Pathways Project. … I/we at Northern implemented at least one new lesson learned from each Institute, triggering several profound changes to our student experience plus remarkable progress on our KPIs.”
— Daniel Mosser, Ph.D.
President, West Virginia Northern Community College
The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, awarded every two years by the Aspen Institute, is the nation’s signature recognition for high-performing community colleges.
The Leah Myer Austin Award is given each year to an Achieving the Dream (ATD) college that demonstrates outstanding long-term gains in student success and institutional equity. It is the highest distinction a college in the ATD Network can earn.
The Bellwether Award focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs worthy of replication. It honors colleges that are leading the way with scalable, evidence-based practices.