MCTC named among Aspen Institute’s Top 200

Published on Oct 29, 2025

By Rachel Adkins

Maysville Community and Technical College is humbled to announce it has been named to the prestigious Aspen Institute Top 200 list, alongside seven other colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

In being nominated to this list, MCTC is eligible to compete for a $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2027. 

The award is the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance for two-year colleges. The top 200 list is developed based on student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment rates. 

Nearly 1,000 institutions were evaluated for the list.

“I am very proud for MCTC to be included in such an elite group of community colleges in the nation,” said Dr. Laura McCullough, MCTC president and CEO. “Our team is committed to upholding the highest standards of excellence, and I am delighted to see MCTC recognized. This distinction reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students who work tirelessly to make our college exceptional.”

The $1 million prize is awarded every two years and recognizes community colleges that achieve high and improving levels of student success in several areas, including teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and college and program access. 

Aspen Prize winners and finalists are selected through three rounds of intensive data analysis and qualitative research by independent experts and selection committees.

Effective practices and models of excellence uncovered during the prize process are shared with the field through open-access assessment tools and publications, conference presentations and professional development programs, including Aspen presidential fellowships and Aspen’s state and system partnerships. 

The Aspen Prize is supported by Ascendium and the Joyce Foundation.