Today, the Aspen Institute (Aspen) named South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) as one of 10 community colleges as finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition for community colleges. Backed by $1 million in award funds, the Aspen Prize honors colleges that achieve strong outcomes, focusing on whether students complete credentials that lead to bachelor’s attainment and jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. This is the third consecutive cycle that Aspen has named SPSCC a finalist.
“Advancing to the top 10 once again is a powerful reflection of the consistency and care our entire campus community brings to supporting students,” said Dr. Timothy Stokes, SPSCC President. “Our faculty and staff are always asking: how can we do better? How can we remove barriers, strengthen pathways, and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed long after they leave our campus? This recognition affirms that work and inspires us to keep moving forward and keep finding answers to those questions.”
The U.S. relies on community colleges to help millions of students improve their lives and economic standing while preparing the skilled workforce employers need. Long known for access and affordability, community colleges enroll 40% of all undergraduates nationally, some in programs that prepare students for specific jobs and others designed for transfer and bachelor’s attainment at a four-year college or university.
Over the past 25 years, the focus of reforms nationally has been moving from access to success, and as a result, graduation rates have improved by over 13 percentage points. But post-graduation outcomes still need improvement: More than a third of community college credentials do not lead to strong workforce outcomes or successful transfer and bachelor’s attainment after graduation. To this end, the Aspen Prize finalists have adopted reforms and practices to improve both completion and post-completion outcomes.
Over nearly two years, the Aspen Prize selection process examines data and reviews applications that reveal which colleges achieve strong and improving student outcomes in several areas, including student learning, credential completion, labor market success, and transfer/bachelor’s attainment.
The Aspen Prize selection process began in October 2025, when Aspen applied a formula assessing student outcomes to select 200 colleges and invite them to apply for the Prize. From the 170 that applied, a 15-member independent selection committee selected 25 semifinalists—and now 10 finalists—based on comprehensive outcomes data and evidence of the practices that led to those outcomes. In fall 2026, teams of experts will conduct in-depth site visits to each finalist institution and review additional data. The Aspen Prize winner will be selected by an independent Aspen Prize Jury and announced in April 2027.
The Aspen Prize is generously funded by the Ascendium Education Group and the Joyce Foundation.
About SPSCC
Most recently recognized as a top three best community college in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program in 2025, SPSCC serves around 8,000 students each year. The college serves people from all backgrounds and meets them where they are, connecting them to pathways and classes to reach their goals. Whether that’s landing a new job, learning a new skill, earning a degree, or transferring to a university, SPSCC is dedicated to helping students on their journey toward an amplified future.
SPSCC's mission is to support student success in postsecondary academic transfer and workforce education that responds to the needs of the South Puget Sound region. SPSCC supports student success and builds prosperity by collaborating with the community and our partners to offer innovative, accessible, and affordable learning experiences.
SPSCC has previously been selected by the Aspen Institute as:
- 2025 Top 3 Finalist with Distinction
- 2023 Top 10 Finalist
- 2021 Top 150
- 2019 Top 150
- 2017 Top 150
About the Aspen Institute
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 www.highered.aspeninstitute.org.
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 www.aspeninstitute.org.