MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Washington community college picked best in America

Mar 19, 2013, 5:20 PM | Updated: 5:36 pm

Walla Walla Community College has been selected one of two top schools in the nation by a prestigio...

Walla Walla Community College has been selected one of two top schools in the nation by a prestigious Washington, D.C. based academic think tank. (WWCC image)

(WWCC image)

If the Ivy League or the University of Washington isn’t in your future, it turns out one of the best education deals in America can be found in Eastern Washington. And just about any student in our state can get in.

The prestigious Aspen Institute has just named Walla Walla Community College a co-winner of the 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The award by the Washington, D.C.-based education think tank, names WWCC and Santa Barbara City College in California the two top community colleges in the nation.

Walla Walla president Steve Vanausdle says the school has several successful programs to prepare students for the workforce, but one stands out.

“Probably the most visible program on campus is the enology and viticulture program where we’re preparing students to enter the win business,” he says.

The two winners, selected from the nation’s more than 1,000 community colleges, will each receive $400,000.

The Aspen Institute chose the school for its success attracting, retaining and graduating students into four-year universities and the workforce.

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Washington community college picked best in America