Colorado Mountain College helps lead passage of landmark Thriving Institutions legislation
Future college students in Colorado may soon have a better way to understand where they are most likely to succeed, thanks to new state legislation shaped in part by Colorado Mountain College. House Bill 26-1006 positions Colorado as a national leader in recognizing colleges and universities for how well their students perform, not just who they enroll.
The new law establishes a framework for Thriving Institutions designations, which will recognize colleges that demonstrate strong outcomes for students, including measures related to student success, graduation, workforce readiness and economic mobility.
CMC played a central role in conceptualizing and advancing the legislation in partnership with bill sponsors Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, Rep. Matthew Martinez and Sen. Dylan Roberts, along with a statewide coalition of higher education institutions, students and community organizations.
“This legislation represents an important shift in how we think about student success,” said Yesenia Silva Estrada, vice president of planning and chief of staff at Colorado Mountain College who worked with legislators and partners across Colorado to develop the legislation. “It moves beyond access and toward accountability for outcomes, recognizing institutions that enable students to truly thrive.”
While federal designations such as Hispanic-Serving Institution status recognize colleges based on enrollment demographics, HB26-1006 lays the groundwork for a complementary, outcomes-based approach, one that could eventually highlight institutions delivering strong results for specific student populations. Under the framework established in the law, Colorado may create designations such as Hispanic Thriving Institutions or First-Generation Thriving Institutions, offering students and families a clearer picture of where they are most likely to succeed.
“A college can enroll a diverse student body and still fall short on outcomes,” Silva Estrada said. “This initiative is about raising the bar and recognizing institutions where students not only attend but succeed.”
The designation framework is designed to be flexible, allowing the state to recognize excellence across a wide range of missions and student populations, including Hispanic and Latino students, first-generation college students, rural learners, adult students, veterans and other populations. Importantly, the designation is intended to complement, not replace, existing federal programs, offering an additional lens through which students, policymakers and institutions can evaluate success.
CMC worked closely with organizations including Colorado Succeeds, the Student Voice Coalition, the Colorado Coalition for the Educational Advancement of Latinos, Colorado Hispanic Serving Institution Consortium, the Colorado Department of Higher Education and other partners across the state to help advance the bill. As one of the first statewide efforts of its kind, the legislation could serve as a model for other states seeking to better align higher education with student outcomes and workforce needs.
"Colorado Mountain College has long believed that successful student outcomes are the most important measures for colleges," said CMC President Matt Gianneschi. "This legislation creates a method for recognizing institutions that deliver meaningful results for students and communities, which will encourage innovation, continuous improvement and highlight outcomes that matter."
Implementation of the law will be led by the Colorado Department of Higher Education in collaboration with institutions and partners across the state, with additional detail to be developed in the coming months. As the framework takes shape, it is expected to provide students and families with clearer, more meaningful insight into where they are most likely to succeed.