LINN  — State Tech has been named to the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program for at least the sixth straight time and more than any other two-year college in Missouri. The distinction means the school is considered one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges. North Central Missouri College, located in Trenton, was also named to this year’s list.

“We have received numerous national accolades, but the Aspen Institute is always a very special recognition,” said State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong. “We have one of the very best technical colleges in the country in Linn. We graduate students and start rewarding careers; no one does it better than State Tech. Employers know this. It means a lot when national ranking agencies such as Aspen recognize this. As we say at State Tech, ‘From the Classroom to your Career, We are the Employers’ Choice.”

The Aspen recognition is in addition to a long list of national accolades State Tech has received, including being ranked number one by WalletHub for five years running, fourth by Value Colleges, Smart Asset, and Brookings Institute, and fifth by Bankrate. All of these rankings recognize State Tech’s value proposition of graduating students at a higher rate than any other college or university in the state and the placement and salaries State Tech graduates receive.

Over the last eight years, State Tech has grown 80% and currently has 200,000 square feet of building space being renovated or under construction. Within the last month, State Tech opened Osage View, a 30,000-square-foot entertainment and golf venue. National rankings and the expanding campus will ensure State Tech continues to be the fastest-growing college or university in Missouri and will continue to expand Missouri’s workforce.

According to a statement from the Aspen Institute, “Based on State Tech’s student outcomes – including strong, improving, and equitable retention and graduation rates – your college is one of 150 community colleges nationally that has been invited to apply for the 2025 Aspen Prize. This in and of itself is an important marker of institutional performance – we base eligibility on an evaluation of performance at nearly 1,000 community colleges.”

State Tech is now eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s colleges. The Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding achievement in six critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, equitable access to the college, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.