The Shadow
RICHMOND, Va. (VR) — Eleven of the Virginia Community Colleges System’s 23 colleges are now in the running for the $1 million 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence — the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges.
This year, a total of 200 colleges from around the country were identified as “eligible.”
The Top 200 colleges were selected based on their student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates.
Dr. David Doré, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, was encouraged by the announcement, given the effort behind the system’s six-year, statewide strategic plan, Accelerate Opportunity.
Doré added that the goals and objectives of Accelerate Opportunity underscore what the Aspen Institute considers essential for excellence in community college education.
“We are working diligently to remove barriers to access and are steadily increasing the number of annual graduates in regionally high-demand fields,” he said. “This speaks volumes to our system’s commitment to our strategic plan, and to driving measurable, impactful change.”
Doré also acknowledged that the recognition is a celebration of the success of VCCS students.
“Once they join the workforce and reflect on their community college experience, we want them to feel like they were challenged to accomplish something more than even they thought possible.”
As for the critical role of employees in helping to secure the recognition, Doré expressed appreciation for a job well done.
“I commend our colleges’ administration, faculty, and staff; our students; and our system office colleagues for this recognition, and for their unwavering dedication to excellence and student success.”
VCCS colleges identified as “eligible:”
- Central Virginia Community College
- Germanna Community College
- Laurel Ridge Community College
- Mountain Empire Community College
- New River Community College
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Patrick & Henry Community College
- Rappahannock Community College
- Southwest Virginia Community College
- Virginia Highlands Community College
- Wytheville Community College
Aspen Prize winners and finalists are selected based on three rounds of intensive data analysis and qualitative research by independent experts and selection committees.
An announcement of 25 semifinalists is expected next spring. The field will be narrowed to 10 in June of 2026, with the winner of the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence to be announced in the spring of 2027.
About Virginia’s Community Colleges: Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills, so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. In the academic year 2024, Virginia’s Community Colleges served more than 232,000 students across 23 schools throughout Virginia. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu. For more information on FastForward, please visit fastforwardva.org.
