Students walk outside the Meehan Student Center on the UMass Lowell campus.

LOWELL – America’s first Learning City lived up to its billing Thursday, as UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College were recognized with the Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award.

For UMass Lowell, it was the seventh year in a row receiving the national honor that recognizes the university for its outstanding academics and community-building culture across all levels of campus life. MCC garnered the recognition for the first time in the school’s history.

The award is presented by Insight Into Academia, a magazine promoting best practices in higher education administration and the oldest and largest publication focused on best practices in higher education.

In selecting UMass Lowell, Insight Into America evaluated the university’s academic excellence; commitment to student success, recruitment, hiring and retention practices; leadership; and campus climate.

“This seventh-time recognition is no small feat, as it speaks to the sustained commitment of our employees to foster student success in every aspect of their UMass Lowell experience and promote community engagement on and beyond campus,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen.

UMass Lowell also received the award in 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

UMass Lowell students hail from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries. Forty-eight percent of undergraduates identify as students of color, 46% are first-generation college students, nearly a third identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and an estimated 1,000 are connected to the military.

“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach in reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, the magazine’s co-publisher.

The HEED Award complements other significant achievements UMass Lowell has attained over the past few years. Classified as a Carnegie Research 1 university, UMass Lowell sits among the nation’s top research institutions. For the second time in three years, The Wall Street Journal has named UMass Lowell the No. 1 public university in the state. The media outlet also ranks UMass Lowell as the top university among all private and public institutions in the state for social mobility, helping students from every background to achieve success. Both The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report rank UMass Lowell as the best value among public universities in the Bay State. UMass Lowell is also the only institution in Massachusetts – and one of 11 in the country and 20 worldwide – to receive a platinum rating from the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

For the first time, Middlesex Community College will also be featured along with 60 other recipients in the October 2026 issue of the magazine.

The Carole Cowan Center, located on Middlesex Community College’s downtown Lowell campus.

“We are thrilled to receive the HEED Award in recognition of our institution-wide commitment to creating an environment where students and employees can thrive, feel connected, and access meaningful opportunities for success,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President. “The recognition reflects MCC’s intentional work to embed these values throughout the institution and its strategic planning. Through our strategic priorities, professional development opportunities, community partnerships, employee and student engagement efforts, and continued focus on improving access and outcomes, the college continues to work to ensure that excellence, opportunity, and a strong sense of community are part of the experience for every member of our extended community.”

This collegewide initiative extends across student support, teaching and learning, professional development, community engagement, hiring and employee work, and programs. In combination, these efforts strengthen feelings of belonging and connection across MCC, according to Maria Gariepy, MCC’s Executive Director of Strategic Priorities & Professional Development.

“Receiving the Community College HEED Award is a meaningful recognition of the collective work happening across MCC,” Gariepy said. “The award reflects the commitment of faculty, staff, students and community partners who work every day to create an institution where people feel welcomed, supported, connected, and positioned to succeed. We are especially proud that this honor recognizes not one program or initiative, but an institution-wide commitment to strengthening opportunity, belonging, and excellence for our students, employees, and the communities we serve.”