Des Plaines (Oct. 31, 2025) — Oakton College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as one of 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The highly coveted award celebrates high achievement and performance among two-year colleges.
Founded in 1949, the Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to igniting human potential, fostering understanding and creating new possibilities for a better world. The 200 colleges were selected based on their student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment rates. They are located in urban, rural and suburban areas across the country and serve anywhere from a few hundred students to tens of thousands.
“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 colleges can deliver the kind of life-changing education that makes the American Dream real.”
Since its founding in 1969, Oakton’s mission has been to empower and transform our students in the diverse communities the College serves. One of these commitments is reflected in the Persistence Project. The project fosters a stronger culture of care by encouraging faculty to build relationships with students through simple actions such as learning names, checking in individually, and providing early feedback. In fall 2024, first-time students who took at least one course with a Persistence Project faculty member persisted from fall to spring at a rate 17.8 percentage points higher than their peers (77.4% vs. 59.6%). This continues the positive trend observed since the project’s launch in 2016.
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 next 20 months, colleges applying for the Aspen Prize will be assessed based on student outcomes data, including transfer and completion rates, employment and wage outcomes after graduation, and whether they have implemented scaled practices that have led to high and improving student outcomes.
At Oakton, we believe that education is powerful and life-changing. To learn more about Oakton and its impact, visit Oakton’s website.