$1 Million Prize Honors Colleges Achieving Strong Student Results, Both in College and After Graduation

Washington D.C., October 28, 2025 - The Aspen Institute named Fort Hays Tech | North Central 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.

“It is an honor and a blessing for Fort Hays Tech | North Central to be recognized as one of the top 2-year colleges in the United States” said Eric Burks, President of Fort Hays Tech | North Central. “This is a testament to the dedication and efforts of our faculty, staff, and students.  We are all focused on helping students succeed, so it is very rewarding to know that our student success metrics are among the best in the nation!”

Together, these 200 colleges represent the breadth and diversity of the two-year college sector. They are located 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 (two-year) colleges can deliver the kind of life-changing education that makes the American Dream real.” 

Two-year colleges educate nearly six million students. Yet their student outcomes often 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 two-year 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 submit an application 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 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.

Fort Hays Tech | North Central has been nominated for this award every year since the inception of the Aspen Prize. The list of two-year colleges in Kansas nominated for the award this year is as follows:

- Barton County Community College
- Coffeyville Community College
- Colby Community College
- Cowley College
- Flint Hills Technical College
- Fort Hays Tech | North Central
- Fort Hays Tech | Northwest
- Manhattan Area Technical College
- Salina Area Technical College

The full list can be accessed on the Aspen Prize homepage at: 
https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/programs/aspen-prize-community-college-excellence

To read more about the selection process, visit as.pn/prize

For more information about Fort Hays Tech | North Central and the Aspen Prize, please contact marketing@fhtechnc.edu or contact Ryan Emerson at (785) 738-9008.