Southeast Tech Named Among Top 150 US Community Colleges for 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named Southeast Technical Institute among the nation’s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds, as well as the Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award. Based on strong and improving student outcomes - including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity - 15% of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.

“Southeast Tech both honored and excited to receive this special recognition,” said Robert Griggs, president, Southeast Tech. “As an institution, we strive to offer in-demand programs that center around student success and filling regional workforce needs. This distinction highlights our mission and the work we have been doing over the past 50 years.”

The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the 2021 Aspen Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39 states in urban, rural, and suburban areas, serving as few as 500 students and as many as 75,000 students, these colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector.

Data show that over the last two years, student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.

The top ten finalists for the 2021 Aspen Prize will be named in May 2020. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished jury will make award decisions in spring 2021.