Fennimore’s Southwest Wisconsin Technical College last week was named the top community college in the U.S., according to the Wisconsin State Journal. It’s the first time a Wisconsin technical college has won the top spot; Southwest Tech was also a finalist in 2023.
The technical college was awarded the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence last Wednesday and outstripped sister college Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and a total of 1,000 community colleges nationwide. The nonprofit Aspen Institute’s eight-person jury determines the prize winner based on aspects of the educational experience that include teaching, degree completion, transfers and bachelor’s degree attainment, success in the workforce, accessibility and equity.
In a statement, the Aspen Institute said Southwest Tech won in part for its degree completion rates, particularly for lower-income students, and those students’ wage potential following graduation. Southwest Tech graduates make $14,000 more per year than other new hires in the region. Its 54% degree completion rate also beats the national average by 20 percentage points.
Southwest Tech will receive $700,000 of the $1 million in the overall prize pool.
