Rio Salado Named a 2025 Great College to Work— Recognition Based on Employee Survey Results

Friday, September 19, 2025
Award
A promotional graphic celebrates Rio Salado College’s recognition in the 2025 Great Colleges to Work For program. The background shows a modern glass-walled campus building with a blue overlay. In the foreground, two award-style badges are displayed: one diamond-shaped badge reads “2025 Great Colleges to Work For – Recognized,” and one shield-shaped badge reads “Honor Roll – Great Colleges to Work For – 2025.”
Two Rio Salado College employees smile and pose together indoors. Both are wearing black blazers; one has on a Rio Salado College T-shirt, while the other wears a shirt featuring the Splash mascot. They stand in front of a frosted glass wall, looking friendly and approachable.
Two Rio Salado College employees smile together inside a brightly lit office space. The employee on the left wears a navy T-shirt with the words “Make it happen at Rio Salado” printed on the front, while the employee on the right wears a Rio Salado College polo shirt and a lanyard decorated with the phrase “Star Wars.” Sunlight shines through large windows in the background, giving the image a warm and welcoming feel.
Three Rio Salado College employees smile together while holding cups of food at an indoor gathering. The man on the left wears glasses and a black polo shirt, the woman in the center has curly hair and a black top, and the woman on the right has long dark hair and a green blouse. They appear relaxed and cheerful in a brightly lit office space with lime green walls in the background.

For a second year in a row - and third in last five - Rio Salado College again earned the designation "Great Colleges to Work For®", an achievement made possible by the college employees themselves.

This marks a continuation of the college's excellence, following its previous recognitions in 2024 and 2021.

The results were released today, Sept. 19, on the Great Colleges to Work For Program web page, and via a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education sent digitally and in print to subscribers.

“Earning the Great Colleges to Work For® designation once again is a true reflection of our employees’ commitment to our students and to one another,” Rio Salado President Kate Smith said. “As a College, we focus on the four practices of engagement: mindfulness, empathy, happiness, and resilience. Together, we foster a culture where collaboration, innovation, and well-being thrive.”

The 2025 Great Colleges to Work For® program, administered by ModernThink LLC, surveyed employees from higher education institutions across the country. Rio Salado stood out among its peers, demonstrating exceptional workplace practices and policies.

“With years of experience studying workplace culture in academia, our data consistently shows that how institutions treat their faculty and staff directly impacts their ability to thrive— both as organizations and as communities,” Richard K. Boyer, Chief Culture Strategist at ModernThink, stated in a press release. “When trust and support are present, institutions unlock the creativity, dedication, and resilience essential to navigating today’s challenges in higher education.”

Honor Roll Institution

Rio Salado was also named to the Great Colleges Honor Roll, a status granted to only 42 colleges each year who are highlighted most across the recognition categories. The Honor Roll designation is awarded to the top 10 four-year colleges and top 4 two-year colleges in each size group that are recognized in the greatest number of categories. Rio Salado College is being recognized in the following categories as an Honor Roll recipient:

  • Professional Development
  • Mission & Pride
  • Confidence in Senior Leadership
  • Faculty & Staff Well-being
  • Shared Governance
  • Faculty Experience

This marks the second year in a row that Rio Salado College is being recognized for professional development; confidence in senior leadership; faculty & staff well-being; shared governance; and faculty experience.

Great Colleges to Work For Program Summary

The Great Colleges to Work For® program includes a two-part assessment process: the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey© administered to faculty, administrators, exempt professional and non-exempt staff, as well as adjuncts at two-year colleges, and the ModernThink Higher Education Institution Questionnaire© (IQ), which captures employment data and workplace policies and practices from each institution.

  • 199 institutions participated in 2025, including 123 four-year institutions and 76 two-year institutions.
  • 76 institutions are recognized as a 2025 Great College to Work For, including 54 four-year institutions and 22 two-year institutions.
  • 42 institutions are on the Honor Roll, recognized as stand-outs in their size categories.

Join Rio Salado

With this renewed recognition, Rio Salado College continues to position itself as an employer of choice in higher education. The college invites talented individuals to explore employment opportunities and join its mission of making higher learning equitable and accessible for all.

The latest job openings can be found at www.maricopa.edu/careers.

About Great Colleges to Work For®

The Great Colleges to Work For® program is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all current and previously recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at GreatCollegesProgram.com and GreatCollegesList.com. ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.

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