Published on October 30, 2025

Lake Land College was recently named one of the country’s top 200 community colleges by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for two-year colleges.

As one of the community colleges recognized by the Aspen Institute, Lake Land stood out among more than 1,000 colleges nationwide in student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment rates. This recognition for Lake Land marks the seventh consecutive time that the College has received the honor.

“We are truly proud to once again be recognized by the Aspen Institute for this significant honor,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “I want to thank our faculty, staff and trustees for living out our mission, vision and values every day. This recognition is truly a testament to our collective devotion to serving our communities with excellence and upholding a student-centric vision for Lake Land College.”

The Aspen Institute recognition coincides with Lake Land’s recent announcement of a new strategic plan, centered around the motto of Education that Fits Your Life. This novel framework builds upon years of commitment by the College to rethink how education works, leveraging innovative solutions that ensure academic goals are feasible alongside students’ work, family and personal lives. Under the new strategic plan, Lake Land is placing even greater priority on these objectives – including flexible class options, streamlined enrollment processes, comprehensive support services and student-centric course scheduling – to ensure students are empowered to achieve their goals.

“As we embark on a bold direction as outlined in our new strategic plan, it is a tremendous honor to know that we are being nationally recognized for our commitment to student success and for our strides in making education possible for everyone,” Bullock added.

“The Aspen Prize rewards colleges that achieve the kind of outcomes that actually matter to students – completing 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.”

For more information about the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, visit the Aspen Institute website at AspenInstitute.org.

For more information about the programs and opportunities available at Lake Land College, visit the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu.