There are many advantages to earning an online associate's degree, including an increase in wages and significant savings on the path to a bachelor's degree. When considering an online associate's degree program, there are many factors to consider, though, such as one's career and academic goals, scheduling options, and of course, the school offering the degree. In this ranking, we explore the top 5 best online colleges and universities for an associate's degree.
Rating and Ranking Methodology
Tuition Points:
Under $25,000—1 point
Under $20,000—2 points
Under $15,000—3 points
Under $10,000—4 points
Under $5,000—5 points
U.S. News & World Report's Ranking
Top 10—6 points
Top 25—5 points
Top 50—4 points
Top 100—3 points
Top 150 –2 points
Top 200—1 point
Number of Online Associate's Degree Programs1 point per Associate's Degree Online Offering
The 5 Best Online Schools for Associate Degrees
For this ranking, we began with an initial pool of 120 schools that offer online associate's degrees and then narrowed it to only four-year colleges and universities. To apply the rating and ranking methodology above, we used data from College Navigator and US News & World Report as well as information from each school's website. What follows is our selection of the top 5 best online colleges and universities for associate's degrees.
