Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commended Wallace State Community College and President Vicki Karolewics for the college’s outstanding accomplishments, including being named a Rising Star by the Aspen Institute for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, making it one of the Top 3 colleges in the United States.

“We are honored to have Governor Ivey recognize Wallace State with a commendation outlining the achievements the college has earned over the last year,” Dr. Karolewics said.

Wallace State is the first community college in the state of Alabama to be a finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and has six times been named among the top 150 colleges in the nation.

The commendation also noted Dr. Karolewics’ selection as an Aspen Fellow.

Other accolades recognized in the commendation include:
— The college’s 51 percent three-year graduation rate, outpacing the national average of 35 percent; a persistence rate of 85 percent, transfer success rate of 78 percent and employment and licensure rates of more than 90 percent, all well above national averages
— Wallace State’s total economic impact of $276.1 million in added income and support of 4,106 jobs, or one in every 35 jobs, in its service area
— Offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs
— Wallace State enrolls approximately 10,000 students each year in college credit and workforce-credit courses, adult education and dual enrollment

Wallace State has also been named a Military Friendly College, is an Achieving the Dream Leader College, has been designated as a Caring Campus, has been ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration and rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama.