Mansfield, Ohio — North Central State College (NCSC) has been named the recipient of the 2026 Leah Meyer Austin Award, the highest honor conferred by Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as engines of opportunity, belonging, and economic mobility. The award comes with a $100,000 prize.

Presented annually, the Leah Meyer Austin Award recognizes a college in the ATD Network that exemplifies the highest levels of performance across access, momentum, completion and post-completion outcomes that align with the organization’s Community Vibrancy Framework — a comprehensive model that defines what it takes for colleges to drive student success, economic mobility, and community prosperity. Award recipients show sustained and measurable impact on key student success metrics that lead to strong completion and post-completion outcomes that advance economic mobility, with institutional practices around seven capacities that are deeply embedded in culture and planning.

The award was announced at ATD’s annual DREAM conference in Portland, Oregon, which convened community college leaders, faculty, staff, and higher education partners from across the country and around the world.

"This award is the result of countless hours of effort by the employees of North Central State College," stated Dr. Dorey Diab, President of NC State. "We are honored to receive this award and are gratified by the recognition of the numerous benefits to our students and graduates over more than a decade. We've worked to control costs of a college education, shorten the time required to succeed and perhaps most importantly, align our graduate outcomes to the needs of our employers, who provide ever increasing wages that exceed the statewide average for Ohio. We're keeping more talented workers close to home and helping them build great careers and rewarding lives for a more prosperous community. Thank you, Achieving the Dream, for this wonderful recognition and award. As it is a journey, and never a destination, we will continue our path to change lives for better futures."

North Central State College serves north-central Ohio and offers associate degrees, certificates, and bachelor’s programs in high-demand fields including health sciences, engineering technology, business, and public service. A longtime member of the Achieving the Dream Network, NCSC earned Leader College status in 2009 and Leader College of Distinction status since 2018.

Guided by a commitment to evidence-based improvement, the college has implemented integrated, student-centered reforms designed to improve momentum, affordability, and completion. These efforts include a strengthened advising model that combines proactive case management, early alert systems, and close collaboration between professional advisors and faculty.

Affordability has been a central priority. Through a combination of institutional and state scholarships, a self-funded Promise-style program, and expanded adoption of open educational resources, NCSC has reduced financial barriers for students. Student loan usage declined from 62% in 2015 to 27% in 2023, and today 25% of courses are textbook-free, helping students persist and progress with fewer financial constraints.

To better support students balancing work, family, and education, NCSC expanded flexible learning options, including online offerings and compressed academic terms. Nearly 50% of courses now use shortened formats, and per-capita credit hours attempted and completed recently reached a five-year high.

These reforms have produced strong, measurable outcomes. Between 2014 and 2021, fall-to-fall retention increased by 22 percentage points, and the college’s completion rate rose by 27 percentage points.

As part of its broader commitment to student and community prosperity, NCSC has embraced Achieving the Dream’s Community Vibrancy Framework, aligning academic programs with regional workforce needs and expanding stackable credentials, certificates, and bachelor’s pathways that lead to family-sustaining wages. Median wages for graduates increased from$28,604 in 2018 to $42,792 in 2024, reaching 98% of the regional median wage.

“North Central State College exemplifies what is possible when a college approaches its work with courage, discipline, and an unwavering focus on students and community,” said Achieving the Dream President and CEO Dr. Karen A. Stout. “The college has translated data-informed decision-making and deep engagement with partners into lasting institutional change, improved student outcomes, and meaningful economic mobility. We are proud to recognize North Central State College for the impact it has achieved — and continues to achieve — for its students and region.”

The Leah Meyer Austin Award was established in 2008 and is named in honor of Leah Meyer Austin, whose visionary leadership helped shape Achieving the Dream’s mission and impact nationwide. North Central State College is the 25th ATD Network college to receive the award.

About North Central State College

North Central State College serves more than 2,900 students on its Mansfield campus, Kehoe Center in Shelby, and the Crawford Success Center in Bucyrus. The College is preparing this area’s workforce by offering more than 60 bachelor’s degree, associate degree and certificate programs of study, which include comprehensive technical education in health sciences, general studies, public service, business, engineering technology, and corporate/community services. In addition to technical studies, North Central State College offers numerous associate of arts and associate of science degrees, which allow students to transfer credits to colleges and universities in the pursuit of advanced degrees.

About Achieving the Dream

Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a partner and champion of more than 300 community colleges across the country. Drawing on our expert coaches, groundbreaking programs, and national peer network, we provide institutions with integrated, tailored support for every aspect of their work — from foundational capacities such as leadership, data, and equity to intentional strategies for supporting students holistically, building K–12 partnerships, and more. We call this Whole College Transformation. Our vision is for every college to be a catalyst for equitable and economically vibrant communities. We know that with the right partner and the right approach, colleges can drive access, completion rates, and employment outcomes — so that all students can access life-changing learning that propels them into community-changing careers. Follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.