FENNIMORE, Wis. — Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (SWTC) in Fennimore was named the top community college in the country.

It’s the first time a Wisconsin school has won the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

Bridget Horton graduated from SWTC this spring with her associate’s degree in nursing.

“I really love all of the hands-on experience,” Horton said. “I have heard from multiple people outside of the college that a lot of the other colleges in the area don’t get this kind of hands-on experience.”

Horton said the school stepped up when she wasn’t sure if she could continue taking classes or doing her clinicals while balancing being a mom of two young girls.

She said SWTC offers affordable, on-site day care and connects students to financial aid. Staff helped Horton get a fuel card to pay for gas.

“Without their flexibility and their help and support, I would not have been able to make this work, at least to the level that I felt accomplished with,” she said.

A high graduation rate, especially among low-income students, is what helped SWTC earn the 2025 Aspen Prize.

The award also considers good wage outcomes after graduation. Within five years of completing a degree, SWTC graduates earn nearly $14,000 more than the average new hire in the region.

Chief Student Services Officer Holly Clendenen said SWTC’s advising staff also makes sure every student starts with an academic and financial plan.

“All of our students create an individual student success plan prior to enrollment here at the college, and I think that has been credited and is something we feel helps our students feel prepared when classes start, as well as having a plan for what their education is going to look like when they’re here,” Clendenen said.

As this year’s big winner, SWTC gets $700,000 in prize money.

Horton said she knows it will be used to help more students.

“It’s been a rigorous program, but I know that it prepared me for what’s to come,” she said.