Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Recognized with Prestigious Award
by Sofia Zapata, age 15
One Wisconsin school has become the first technical college in the state to be recognized with the Aspen Prize – meaning they are the best tech school in the country this year.
In April, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College was given the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. This prize began in 2010 and it is given out every two years.
The Aspen Institute looks at multiple things while choosing a college, such as: teaching, degree completion, transfers and bachelor’s degree attainment, success in the workforce, accessibility, and equity. Southwest Tech won mostly for its degree completion rates, especially for lower-income students, and the wage potential those graduates see once they leave.
Southwest Tech opened in Fennimore, Wisconsin in 1911 and has more than 3,000 students today.
“Winning the Aspen Prize is a recognition of our commitment to expand access, strengthen student outcomes, and deliver our vision to change lives by providing opportunities for success,” Holly Clendenen, chief student services officer, said.
The college exceeds national degree completion rates by 20%, with a 54% graduation rate. But it's aiming even higher, at 70%. After students graduate from Southwest Tech, they make an average of $14,000 more than other workers who are starting jobs in the southwest region of Wisconsin.
After all its hard work, Southwest Tech received its recognition for perseverance and good opportunities. Educators, students, and staff at the college are proud to be awarded this prize, especially with all the competition they had. It might be an excellent chance for people in Wisconsin to get to know more about college and explore what our state’s technical college system has to offer.
[Sources: Wisconsin State Journal; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
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