This qualitative study investigated how community colleges that have been nationally recognized for their success create and nurture environments to use data effectively. This kind of data use has been described as developing and sustaining a culture of evidence or a culture of inquiry. However, the exact definitions of culture of evidence and culture of inquiry vary among the literature as well as in the ways that community colleges leverage data use toward institutional success. The overarching goal of this research was to explore the perceptions of multiple stakeholders in successful community colleges to understand and articulate promising processes or practices that may inform the movement among community colleges to pursue cultures of effective data use. The researcher interviewed individuals from five community colleges that had been nationally recognized by Achieving the Dream or the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program within the past three years. At each of the five colleges, interviews were conducted with the president, an institutional research leader, an executive-level academic administrator, and a faculty leader. The study surfaced major findings related to the ways that colleges place significance on leadership, collaboration, and use of data to develop strong cultures of data use and data-based decision making. Other significant findings arose within these focus areas as well as in the intersections between two or more areas, including contexts of sharing data, data skills, and issues around equity of student success outcomes. Interview data revealed that the colleges in this study exhibit various successful practices toward creating and sustaining cultures of evidence; however, specific attributes of cultures of inquiry, including aspects of organizational learning, were not as prominent. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]