Best Associate Degree Programs of 2023
Just two years of full-time study is all it takes to earn an associate degree and qualify for a variety of jobs that pay well and are in high demand. You can open up exciting new opportunities for your career by learning more about associate degree programs. To help you on your way, we ranked and reviewed the best associate degree programs the United States has to offer.
Why This Matters
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EARN $950+ PER WEEK
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, associate degree holders earn an average of $963 per week, while workers who only have a high school diploma earn $809 per week.
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REDUCE YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT RISK
Workers with an associate degree have an unemployment rate of 4.6%, while workers with a high school diploma have an unemployment rate of 6.2%.
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CHOOSE FROM MORE THAN 500 COMMUNITY COLLEGES
The U.S. is home to over 500 two-year community colleges. This should make it easy for you to earn your associate degree no matter where you live.
Our Research
This list features some of the best associate degree programs at top colleges across the country. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of associate degree programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs
What You Should Know About This Degree
If you’re not sure which associate degree program you want to pursue, it may help to consider the earning potential that is associated with each field. For example, some of the highest-earning associate-level occupations include air traffic controllers (median annual wage of $129,750) and funeral home directors ($74,000).
Conversely, you should also consider avoiding the occupations with the lowest wages. These include dietetic technicians ($29,520) and human resources assistants ($45,630).
Another factor to consider is how many job openings are available for each occupation. You should have no problem finding a job as a preschool teacher (72,900 job openings projected over the next decade) or paralegal (49,900 job openings).
There are also associate degree-level occupations that are in rather low demand, such as embalmers (100 job openings), and broadcast technicians (net loss of 600 job openings).
What’s Next?
Once you’re ready to begin researching associate degree programs, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I eligible for this program? Most community college programs will only require you to have a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for admission.
- How long does it take to complete this degree? This will depend on several factors, such as your major and the number of courses you take per semester. Generally, full-time students can expect to complete an associate degree program in two years.
If you’re interested in a particular program, keep track of any application deadlines and materials that you’ll need to submit during the admissions process. This information can be found by reviewing the school’s website or consulting with a campus official.
You’ll also need to figure out how you will finance your degree. Scholarships, grants, federal loans, work-study programs, and other options may be available to help you pay for tuition and other education-related expenses.