ECC Among Top 150 Community Colleges for Aspen Prize

Edgecombe Community College has been named eligible to apply for the prestigious 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

The $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, awarded every two years, is the nation’s signature recognition for America’s community colleges. President Obama called it “basically the Oscars for great community colleges.”

According to Aspen Prize officials, “This in and of itself is an important marker of institutional performance – we selected just 150 from among approximately 1,000 community colleges evaluated nationwide.”

The Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding achievement in five critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

Each cycle, a committee of national experts selects 10 finalist institutions and, ultimately, the winner of the prestigious award.

“We are honored to be named among the 150 community colleges that are eligible to apply for the distinguished Aspen Prize,” says ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod. “The fundamental goal of all of our college programs and initiatives is student success, and we are encouraged that our efforts have been noticed.”

ECC is one of six community colleges in North Carolina designated as eligible to apply for the prize.