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Op-Ed: Recognizing Why Two-Year College Athletics Aid Community College Success: Aspen Institute’s Top 25
May 7, 2026

Op-Ed: Recognizing Why Two-Year College Athletics Aid Community College Success: Aspen Institute’s Top 25

Op-Ed: Recognizing Why Two-Year College Athletics Aid Community College Success: Aspen Institute's Top 25

Dr. Christopher J. Parker

President & CEO / National Junior College Athletic Association

This week the Aspen Institute released their top 25 for 2027. Of course, more than half of these institutions have intercollegiate athletics-- 16 to be exact, with another three investigating the idea of adding it. So percentage wise, that's 76%, a pretty strong figure.  

But why does this matter? It matters because the five pillars of Aspen are:

  • Student Success in Completion: High and improving graduation rates (150% of normal time) and transfer rates to four-year institutions.
  • Workforce Success: Graduates securing jobs with high earnings and providing regional economic mobility.
  • Equity: Closing achievement gaps for Black, Hispanic, and lower-income students.
  • Learning & Teaching: Ensuring students gain valuable skills during their studies.
  • Access & Success: High retention rates and success in enrollment, particularly for underrepresented students

Student-athletes are proven Winners when looking at all of these categories.  Student-athletes have significantly higher retention and success rates when comparing their cohort to all two-year college students. I routinely compare this cohort to nursing students with high recruitment, retention and completion rates. Our data shows that roughly 35% of all NJCAA student-athletes are first generation college students. That's truly where access begins! 

Intercollegiate athletics also brings diversity to your campus. The NJCAA is quite diverse with individuals of countless ethnicities and backgrounds, but sports provide opportunities for all. The NJCAA not only engages US residents, but also serves around 7,000 international student-athletes per year.  

From a learning and teaching standpoint, student-athletes don't just excel in the classroom, with over 7,000 student athletes earning a 3.75 GPA or higher upon graduation last year, but they also have mentors and coaches who are teaching them life skills- what it means to win, but also what it means to lose and overcome adversity. These skills are what employers are concentrating on all over the world- be a good teammate, show respect, work hard, push the limits, and strive for perfection- all lessons that sports are teaching our young student athletes.  

Therefore, do I find it coincidental that a majority of the top 25 have two-year college athletics on their campuses? No, not at all. Intercollegiate athletics will continue to move the needle for all of the pillars that the Aspen Institute stands for when crowning their annual Community College of Excellence. It also bears mentioning that the 25 schools were selected from nearly 1,000 community colleges.

So, from the guy who has the privilege to promote sports as a way to engage education, Congratulations to all 25 outstanding institutions and their countless leaders who are changing lives on a daily basis.  

Yours in sport and education, 

Dr. Christopher J. Parker

NJCAA President & CEO