The Aspen Institute Names Wallace State Community College as a Semifinalist for $1 Million Aspen Prize

Wallace State Named One of 25 Community Colleges Advancing in National Prize Recognizing Excellent Student Outcomes

HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Today, the Aspen Institute (Aspen) named Wallace State Community College as one of 25 semifinalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Rooted in deep research and backed by $1 million in award money, the Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of community colleges that deliver value for their students.

“We are excited to once again be selected as a semifinalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “Our work remains focused on student success—helping students earn a living wage, secure meaningful employment, and progress along clear pathways toward a bachelor’s degree and long-term opportunity.”

Wallace State was previously recognized by the Aspen Institute when it was named a Rising Star for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

The 25 semifinalists—which come from 20 states—were selected from nearly 1,000 institutions nationwide based on their outcomes data and collegewide practices aligned to achieving high and improving levels of student success. Aspen defines student success as achievement in learning and completion of a college credential, and by post-college success in the form of a good job or successful transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment. 

“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.”

The Aspen Prize is awarded every two years and recognizes excellence across a wide range of institutions, from Florida’s large, multi-campus Valencia College in 2011 to rural Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in 2025. With each cycle, Aspen deepens its understanding of what value looks like. The top colleges—no matter their size or location—ensure students complete programs with strong regional labor market value and clear transfer pathways that lead to bachelor’s degrees.

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About Wallace State

Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a Rising Star for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to strengthen higher education leadership and practice to improve student outcomes—with the ultimate goal of advancing economic mobility and developing talent for the good of each individual and society as a whole. For more information, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.