Patrick & Henry Community College has been named one of 25 semifinalists nationwide for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, one of the country’s highest honors for community colleges.
Awarded by the Aspen Institute, the prize recognizes colleges that demonstrate strong student outcomes, including graduation rates, workforce success and successful transfers to four-year institutions. The award also includes $1 million in prize money.
“This is one of the highest honors a community college can achieve, and one I have always hoped to earn for P&HCC,” said Dr. Greg Hodges, president of Patrick & Henry Community College. “To be named one of of Aspen’s top 25 institutions across the country is validation for the dedicated work our team does every day to support our students, and I am so proud of this distinction.”
The semifinalists, representing 20 states, were selected from nearly 1,000 community colleges nationwide based on student outcomes and institutional practices tied to student success.
Aspen defines student success through measures including graduation and credential completion, successful transfer to four-year schools, bachelor’s degree attainment and workforce outcomes.
“We start every cycle of the Aspen Prize with a simple question: Which community colleges are best at not just helping students graduate, but ensuring that what they learn and the credentials they earn actually help them meet their goals and have a better life?” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
“In over 15 years of awarding the Aspen Prize, we have learned a lot about how top colleges ensure that more students obtain credentials that lead directly to good jobs or successful attainment of a bachelor’s degree through transfer. We congratulate the semifinalists for their strong and improving student outcomes and for prioritizing improvements in student success both during and after college,” Wyner said.
The Aspen Prize is awarded every two years and recognizes community colleges of varying sizes and locations across the country.
The selection process began in October 2025, when Aspen identified 200 colleges with strong and improving student outcomes and invited them to apply. After applications and interviews, the field was narrowed to 25 semifinalists.
Ten finalists will be announced in June. Site visits to finalist colleges are planned for fall 2026, and the overall winner will be announced in April 2027.
More information about the award and selection process is available at as.pn/prize.
Previous winners include:
• 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) and 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.
