Bellevue College Named Among Top 200 U.S. Community Colleges

Bellevue College has been named one of the top 200 community colleges in the country eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high performance and student achievement among two-year colleges.

The Aspen Institute announced the eligible institutions on October 28, marking the ninth cycle of the prestigious prize. Bellevue College’s selection places it among the top 20 percent of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide.

“Being among the nation’s top 20 percent of colleges that are eligible to apply for the Aspen Prize is a true honor,” said Bellevue College President David May. “I take access to higher education, student persistence, and success after graduation very seriously. I’m a firm believer that community colleges are the real heroes of American education, and the Aspen Prize recognizes the hard work that goes into helping our students succeed.”

The 200 colleges were selected based on key student outcome measures, including retention, completion, and transfer rates. Bellevue College stands out with 55 percent of students who began in fall 2020 either graduating or transferring to a four-year institution within four years. This exceeds the national average for similar colleges.

Bellevue College is the largest institution in Washington state’s community and technical college system and enrolled approximately 22,000 students during the 2024–25 academic year.

Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, said the prize celebrates outcomes that directly impact students’ futures.

“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 Wyner. “At a time when many Americans are struggling to pay their bills, Aspen Prize winners offer a powerful message. Community colleges can deliver the kind of life-changing education that makes the American Dream real.”

As a next step, eligible colleges will enter a 20-month review process. The selection will be based on both student outcome data and the extent to which each college has implemented strategies that improve those outcomes at scale. The review will include measures such as year-to-year retention, program completion, job placement, and wages after graduation.

The Aspen Institute updated its data model for this cycle to include additional sources, such as the National Student Clearinghouse, to better track outcomes like part-time completion and bachelor’s degree attainment. Eligibility is based entirely on publicly available data.

“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 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.”

Roughly 20 percent of all public community colleges were invited to apply, up from 150 institutions in previous Aspen Prize cycles. The winner of the 2027 Aspen Prize will be announced in spring 2027.