Salina Area Technical College has been recognized as one of the top 150 two-year colleges in the United States by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, and is now eligible to compete for the $1 million 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
The colleges selected for this recognition stand out among more than 1,000 two year colleges nationwide for having high and improving levels of student success, as well as successful outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.
This is the eighth consecutive time Salina Tech has made the Aspen Institute’s list.
Salina Tech President Greg Nichols said he is pleased at the recognition, and noted that six other Kansas two-year colleges made the list as well.
“By many measures, two-year colleges in Kansas out-perform similar institutions across the country, and Salina Tech routinely leads Kansas in metrics such as graduation rates, job placement and overall student success,” said Salina Tech President Greg Nichols. “This recognition is the result of years of work by our faculty and staff, continuously looking at how we can improve what we do.”
Among the metrics the Aspen Institute examined were the overall three-year graduation rate, the three-year graduation rate among students of color, and the three-year graduation rate among low-income students.
The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to elevate the sector, drive attention to colleges doing the best work, and discover and share highly effective student success and equity strategies.