The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program named Cape Fear Community College as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges, according to a recent announcement.

The honor enables CFCC to compete for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million dollars in prize funds.

“It is very encouraging to see that the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff is being recognized at the national level by experts in higher education," CFCC president Dr. Ted Spring said in a statement.

The Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges, according to a news release.

The award is given out every two years and focuses primarily on student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students, officials said.

CFCC was selected from a pool of more than 1,000 colleges in the nation. Ten finalists will be named this fall, with the prize winners being announced in early 2015.