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Alexandria College is one of only two Minnesota colleges consistently named eligible for the Aspen Prize since the Award’s inception in 2011.

The colleges selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. Only 15 percent of U.S. colleges are eligible to apply.

 “Our legacy is built on a culture of excellence, innovation, and learning,” said Michael Seymour, President of Alexandria Technical & Community College. “ATCC’s dedication to student success and accessible opportunities for all students is at the center of the work we do every day. It’s this legacy that guides our path forward as we develop new programs and increase our focus on equity, diversity and inclusive excellence. We are proud to once again be named in the top 15 percent of community colleges nationwide.”

The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to drive attention to colleges achieving post-graduate success for all students. Eligible colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector. Located in urban, rural, and suburban areas across 31 states, these colleges serve as few as 169 students and as many as 49,619.

ATCC has worked diligently to grow in several student sectors, including the metro area, underrepresented populations, adult learners, and student athletes. This has led to enrollment growth; ATCC was the only college in the Minnesota State system to show growth between fiscal year 2019 and 2023. Of ATCC’s top ten feeder schools, historically all have been within a 50-mile radius. Two of our top ten high schools are now located more than 100 miles away, Forest Lake and Monticello.

Students choose Alexandria College for a variety of reasons. Abundant student housing, a broad array of academic programs, and ever-increasing Legends Athletics offerings are among the top reasons. Students come from as far away as Alaska, Texas, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Housing

Students expressed concerns that affordable housing close to campus was a key need; one that was getting harder to fulfill. The ATCC Foundation answered the call, and broke ground on a new student housing unit adjacent to campus. Foundation Hall, the existing student housing unit, has 149 beds and has been at 100% occupancy since it opened in 2011. The addition of J.A. Wedum Hall brings safe, convenient housing to 150 additional students. The housing unit will open fall 2024.

Legends Athletics

Alexandria College launched a varsity athletics program in 2019, with clay target as the sole offering. In 2020, esports and golf were added. In 2021 we became the Legends, and added baseball, volleyball, and soccer in 2022. Our growth will continue with the addition of Minnesota’s first collegiate competitive archery team in the fall of 2024.

Sebastian Centeno from Pelican Rapids chose Alexandria College to further his academic and athletic goals. “The learning experience exceeded my expectations. I have learned so much from my classmates, instructors, and other staff members who have helped me,” Centeno noted. “I always enjoyed playing soccer. I’m happy to be a part of the Legends men’s soccer team because we always have each other’s backs.” Centeno plans to graduate from the Accounting Transfer Pathway program in spring 2023.

Student Success

Growth in academic programs and athletic offerings has contributed greatly to enrollment growth, with many students reporting that they chose ATCC for a specific program or varsity sport. Growth, however, is impractical without a strong support network to ensure students succeed in the classroom and in their careers. ATCC has greatly expanded student support in recent years, hiring a bilingual admissions representative and student success coaches. These positions were created to better ensure success for our Spanish-speaking and culturally diverse students; a direct result of the college’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) planning process. The EDI plan has been evolving in step with college growth since 2020, and integrates with the goals established by the college strategic framework, academic master plan, and strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan.

ATCC’s student outcomes remain among the highest in Minnesota, and nationwide.

• In 2022 the Council of Higher Education included Alexandria College on a list of 20 institutions with the highest graduation rates in the United States.
• Our graduation rate is 66%, more than double the national midpoint for two-year schools according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
• Wallethub has named ATCC Minnesota’s Best College for four years in a row, for affordability, education quality, and student success.
• ATCC has maintained an average related job placement rate of 98%, meaning most graduates work in roles directly related to their area of study. Many academic programs achieve 100% related job placement.

 “The Aspen Prize is rooted first and foremost in an assessment of whether colleges are walking the walk,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “As community colleges face enrollment variations, enroll students with pandemic-related learning loss, and graduate students into a rapidly changing labor market, it is easy to lose track of what matters most.”