Aspen Institute Includes PCC on list of 150 Top Community Colleges

For the fourth time in a row, Pasadena City College has been named one of the country’s Top 150 Community Colleges by the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute.

Every two years, the Aspen Institute conducts a public competition that recognizes the top community colleges in the United States. PCC was named a Top 10 Community College in Aspen’s rankings in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

“We are thrilled to yet again be recognized as a key place of innovation within America’s community colleges,” said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, PCC’s superintendent/president. “This honor is a testament to the incredible work our students, faculty, and staff do every day to pursue success.”

Inclusion in the list means the college can apply for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

The prize is  awarded every two years and is the nation’s signature recognition for America’s community colleges. 

According to Aspen’s website,President Obama called the prize, “basically the Oscars for great community colleges.” 

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.

This year, the prize process focuses on equitable outcomes for students during and after college.

PCC will soon supply prize judges with information on its programs, services, and outcomes as the selection process continues. The focus on equitable outcomes is a particularly strong suit for the college, as later this month PCC will be recognized by the Campaign for College Opportunity as one of the state’s top institutions for Black and Latinx students seeking transfer to a four-year institution.

PCC has also made substantial investments in its career education programs, including a recently hired dean of career technical education and the reconstruction of a science building on the east side of its Colorado Boulevard campus. The rebuilt Sarafian Building will house PCC’s programs in health sciences and natural sciences.