Top 50 Online Associate Degrees for 2025

It’s true that you can find a job with just a high school diploma. Some people start their own business and do well for themselves without any formal education. However, that is not the norm and a degree can help you go much further with a career, even if you only earn an associate’s. This is especially true if you earn a focused associate degree, such as a degree in nursing or air traffic control. These will gain you access to a career in which you can earn $70,000 or even over $100,000 per year once you have some experience under your belt.

Students can earn associate degrees online or on-campus in four semesters or two calendar years. Students that wish to speed up the process can get earlier completion by taking a full course load each semester and in the summer sessions. By taking the maximum level of online courses per semester and summer sessions, some students can complete the online degree in 18 months.

Admission requirements for associate degrees are relatively low when compared to requirements for a bachelor’s degree. Many associate degree programs are open enrollment, which means that all you need to do is send in your high school transcripts or GED information in order to gain access to an associate degree. A more exclusive associate degree program may want you to send in ACT/SAT scores, but they will have more flexible minimum required scores. Overall, gaining access to online associate degrees is significantly easier than access to other formal education. The typical credit hour requirements for an associate degree is 60 to 72 credit hours.

The prices for online associate degrees vary by institution. However, on-campus rates are typically the same as online rates, excluding room and board. Students save on costs such as residence in a dormitory and food expenses but will still need to purchase books and other supplies. The on-campus school may be located in a higher priced area than the student’s home area. Also, as usual, if you attend out-of-state online associate degree programs, the online cost will likely be the same as in-state students pay, while attending on-campus, out-of-state would be a much more expensive proposition.

The schools can have regional accreditation, programmatic accreditation, and national accreditation for associate degree programs. The regional and programmatic are the most powerful types. These accreditations have wide acceptance among employers and educational institutions. Regional accreditation, as authorized by the US Department of Education, is the first type of accreditation students should seek. Your particular field of study may also have a programmatic, or specialized, accreditation. The combination of regional and specialized accreditation is very strong. National accreditation is not as widely accepted, and credits with national accreditation don’t always transfer.

Accreditation affects later employment and further education. It also affects eligibility for student loans, grants, and scholarships. Students attending nationally accredited schools should check to see if the accreditation is by an agency under the DOE or CHEA list of approved accreditors.

Admission requirements for associate degrees are relatively low when compared to requirements for a bachelor’s degree. Many programs are open enrollment, which means that all you need to do is send in your high school transcripts or GED information in order to gain access to programs. A more exclusive associate degree program may want you to send in ACT/SAT scores, but they will have more flexible minimum required scores. Overall, gaining access to an associate degree program is significantly easier than access to other formal education. The typical credit hour requirements for an associate degree is 60 to 72 credit hours.

Accreditation is an important part of selecting an Associate degree program. Accreditation affects the acceptance of the associate coursework by employers and other educational institutions. Regional accreditation of the whole institution and special accreditation of the particular program will impact career and salary for students. The lack of accreditation has immediate impacts such as not participating in federal student financial assistance programs. The lack of access to federal loans, grants, and scholarship can affect the cost of a two-year program and put it out of reach for many students. For employed students that may be eligible for employer-funded tuition assistance, they too look for accredited schools.

The impact on a career is also immediate and long-term. Employers rely upon accreditation to assure them that the student has a quality education and can perform as expected. If the career plan includes further education such as nursing school, then other schools must rely upon indicators of quality education; strong accreditation opens up a wider range of employment and educational opportunities for the associate degree holder.