TCTC a Finalist for 2027 Aspen Prize for Excellence
Observer Reports
Tri-County Technical College has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, placing the institution among a small group of colleges nationally recognized for producing strong student outcomes. The prize, backed by $1 million in award funds, is the Aspen Institute’s signature honor for community colleges, with an emphasis on completion, transfer, and jobs that lead to family-sustaining wages.
For Tri-County, the recognition of a public accounting of a long-running institutional habit: pushing students to finish, transfer, and move directly into the workforce.
In a statement, President Galen DeHay said the honor reflects the college’s focus on “clear pathways, strong advising, and close alignment with workforce needs” and praised the shared commitment across campus to put student success first.
TCTC analytics help explain why it made the cut. TCTC has the highest graduation, success, and transfer rates in the South Carolina Technical College System, and that performance ranks in the 90th percentile nationally for student success and transfer. Other benchmarks include Pell Grant recipients who transfer from TCTC to Clemson University having the highest bachelor’s-degree completion rates in the country. The college noted that 93 percent of its graduates are placed in jobs related to their field of study, and nearly 72 percent are working in South Carolina 10 years after graduation.
The Aspen Prize process is intentionally slow and exacting. It begins with a broad data screen, then narrows to applicants, semifinalists, and finalists based on evidence of strong and improving outcomes in learning, credential completion, labor-market success, and bachelor’s attainment. This cycle began in October 2025, when Aspen used its metrics to identify 200 colleges and invite them to apply; 170 did, 25 became semifinalists, and now 10 remain.
That final 10 will soon be examined even more closely. In fall 2026, expert teams will visit each finalist campus, review additional data, and study the practices behind the results. The winner will be chosen by an independent jury and announced in April 2027.
