Fastest Accelerated Online Associate’s of Finance Degree Programs 2025

Badge for FASTEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN FINANCE

By Dave Tomar
Reviewed By Chloe Dembski

Updated: Nov 5, 2024

Key Takeaways

Associate in online finance programs is designed for both traditional and non-traditional students, such as working professionals and adult learners, who seek to broaden their aptitude for all things finance. Online students must exercise effective time management skills if they want to achieve academic success, even if they can learn at their own pace (i.e., asynchronous learning).
Online associate degree programs usually have the same admission requirements, curriculum, and sequence of courses, and degree requirements as their on-campus requirements. The main difference lies in using a learning management system (LMS) and other digital technologies in course delivery and other academic activities.
While accelerated online degree programs in finance on the associate degree level are fairly uncommon, earning an associate degree in two years or less is possible through transfer credits and full-time matriculation.

Table of Contents

Fastest Accelerated Online Associate's of Finance Degree Programs in 2025

University of Cincinnati
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Franklin University
+1
Berkeley College
+10
Wilmington University
Bryant & Stratton College
+14
Middle Georgia State University
+10
Hinds Community College
+11
Davenport University
–6
Milwaukee Area Technical College
–1

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top ten schools in our ranking of the fastest accelerated online associate’s degree programs saw a considerable amount of movement. Bryant & Stratton College gained the most ranking positions as the college has introduced several enhancements to its Associate of Finance program to better serve its students. The college has expanded its curriculum to include specialized courses in financial securities, providing students with in-depth knowledge of investment strategies and market analysis.

Additionally, the college offers flexible class options, including on-campus, live remote, and 100% online formats, allowing students to choose the learning environment that best fits their schedules and learning preferences. These improvements aim to equip students with the skills and flexibility needed to excel in the dynamic field of finance.

Fastest Online Associate Degree in Finance Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Finance Degree

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Finance

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $5,849
Avg. Expenses*: $14,281
Avg. Starting Salary*: $40,070
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 7.69%
Number of Jobs: 6,304,000
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Chief Executives	5.48%	$206,680
Financial Managers	16.51%	$156,100
Financial Risk Specialists	8.35%	$106,090
General and Operations Managers	5.80%	$101,280
Personal Financial Advisors	17.10%	$99,580
Financial and Investment Analysts	9.53%	$99,010
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	6.67%	$97,130
Budget Analysts	3.74%	$84,940
Credit Analysts	-3.93%	$79,420
Financial Specialists, All Other	6.24%	$78,310

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Chief Executives	$206,680
Financial Managers	$156,100
Financial Risk Specialists	$106,090
General and Operations Managers	$101,280
Personal Financial Advisors	$99,580
Financial and Investment Analysts	$99,010
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$97,130
Budget Analysts	$84,940
Credit Analysts	$79,420
Financial Specialists, All Other	$78,310

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Accelerated Online Associate in Finance Experience

Getting into the fastest online associate’s of finance degree programs can be the start of a successful career in the finance industry.

Indeed, it’s a career worth pursuing considering the massive size of the financial services industry in the United States alone—about $4.85 trillion in revenues in 2021!

Such is its significant impact on the national economy that the financial services industry accounts for 7.4% of the national gross national product.

In all these programs, nonetheless, there’s a common theme—graduates of these associate degree programs are qualified for entry-level jobs in the financial services industry. Their knowledge and skills are relevant to finance, from financial and managerial accounting in organizations to international finance.

You can become a part of the booming financial services industry by completing an online associate degree in finance.

Types of Associate Degrees in Finance

Online programs offering associate degrees in finance and related areas are designated as follows:

Associate of Arts (AA) programs have more general education courses with a liberal arts focus. While transferable skills are emphasized, students also gain technical skills necessary for finance-related jobs.
Associate of Science (AS) programs have a more science-centric approach, meaning more finance-related courses. But general education courses are still required.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) programs enable students to develop practical skills for finance-related jobs after graduation. Many online programs are also designated Associate of Applied Business (AAB), emphasizing business-related skills.

Key Point: The type of online associate degree in finance you choose will impact what you study and your career focus.

It should be noted that some associate degrees that are finance-related are actually a concentration within a business administration or business management program, but many programs offer standalone associate degrees.

Online programs offering associate degrees in finance and related fields typically cover one or more of these fundamental areas:

Public finance: public spending, tax systems, and budget procedures, among other government concerns.
Corporate finance: the management of assets and liabilities as well as revenues and debts of for-profit corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Personal finance: the financial activities and decisions of individuals and their families (e.g., income generation, daily expenses, mortgage and insurance planning, savings and investments, and retirement planning).
Social finance: investments made by investors in social enterprises like cooperatives, charitable organizations, and even nonprofit entities.
Behavioral finance: part of the study of behavioral economics, which uses theories of psychology to study financial behavior and its anomalies among individuals.

Key Point: Expect an online associate in finance degree program to concentrate in one or more of major areas of finance.

Admissions Requirements

The admission requirements for on-campus and online programs are usually the same, as are their academic quality and graduation requirements.

But in the case of accelerated online programs, additional requirements may be imposed, with approved credits for transfer and willingness to tackle accelerated coursework being common.

The common admission requirements for online associate degree programs include the following:

Completed application form, including payment of application fee

High school diploma or GED equivalent

Official high school transcripts

Proof of transfer credits

Key Point: Associate degree programs don’t typically require letters of recommendation, personal statements, or resumes. Standardized test scores may or may not be required.

Number of Credits

Earning an online degree in finance at the associate level means completing the requirements for a 60-semester credit or 90-quarter credit curriculum.

The actual number of credits for completion can vary between online programs but only slightly (e.g., 61-63 semester credits).

Transferring credits to your online associate in finance program can accelerate your time to graduation. Not only will you spend less time earning your degree, but you will also cut the cost of your college education.

The most common type of credits that can transfer are from general education courses that were earned from previous college coursework.

The typical online associate degree programs accept transfer credits from various sources, including:

Credits from dual enrollment programs (i.e., college-level credits earned in high school while taking college courses, such as Advanced Placement)
Credits by examination like CLEP, TECEP, and DANTES
Credits from prior learning, such as work portfolio and industry-related licenses
Credits from military training, service and distinctions

Key Point: Utilizing transfer credits can shorten the time it takes to earn your degree. Be sure to work with an admissions officer to maximize the opportunity.

Even better, if you earn your online associate degree in finance from an accredited college, you can usually transfer most of the credits towards a bachelor’s degree program.

Graduates can transfer the credits earned in these associate in finance degree programs into traditional or online bachelor’s degree programs in finance, banking and finance, and business administration, among others.

Time-to-completion

The typical time-to-completion for online degree programs in finance at the associate level is 2-3 years of full-time studies. But in the case of accelerated online programs, it can be two years or less with transfer credits, accelerated coursework, and full-time matriculation from start to finish.

Online programs with self-paced learning even allow students to complete the coursework faster, thus enabling faster time-to-completion.

Program of Study/Curriculum

While learning outcomes differ between online degree programs in finance, online students gain foundational finance knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level jobs and continuing education.

Students learn through major courses in:

Financial Accounting

Managerial Accounting

Cash Management

Business Finance and Financial Statement Analysis

Microeconomics and macroeconomics

International Finance

Risk Management

Banking, Insurance, and Investments

Key Point: An associate of finance program will cover a wide range of subjects.

In the best online associate degree programs, on-campus faculty members also teach in the online programs. On-campus and online students then benefit from the same academic quality and receive the same diploma (i.e., no distinction stated).

Online Learning Experience

The benefits of earning an online degree cannot be overemphasized, from the flexibility and convenience of asynchronous courses to the acceptability of the degree in the industry.

Online students also praise the ease of use of their accelerated online programs’ learning management system (LMS), an online learning platform that serves the needs of both learners and teachers.

Think of the LMS as a one-stop-shop where you can access your student account, learning materials, references, and resources provided by your teachers and college.

You can also participate in the synchronous live classes and the asynchronous class activities, such as threads and discussion forums, and submit your assignments and group projects. You and your peers also use the LMS for interactions amongst yourselves and with the faculty and staff.

And don’t think for a second that online associate degree programs are rife for cheating and plagiarism! This is far from the truth as the best LMS, such as Moodle, Blackboard, and Canvas, have built-in apps that guard against cheating, plagiarism, and other academic mischiefs.

Teachers are also now adept at their detection, too, such as each student’s writing style.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Earning an online degree has its pros and cons in terms of cost. There are fewer travel and related expenses with learning anywhere, anytime. However, there’s also the cost of an Internet connection and technology fees imposed by the college on online students.

But in most schools, the on-campus and online per-credit tuition are the same—and if there’s a difference, it’s only a slight increase for online programs.

The per-credit tuition for online programs ranges between $90 and $435+, with total costs over two years ranging from $6,000 to $26,000 for first-year students without transfer credits.

Online students, fortunately, are eligible for federal, state, and school financial aid! There are usually no distinctions between on-campus and online students, too, as long as the eligibility requirements are met.

But non-traditional students in online associate degree programs may be precluded from certain types of financial aid, not because of their modality of education but because of their income. This is especially true of working professionals and adult learners.

Continuing Education

While an associate in finance degree can help you get your foot in the door of the financial services industry, it isn’t enough for career advancement into supervisory, management and executive positions.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and other related fields is the first step, followed by seeking a master’s degree and professional certifications.

Examples of jobs that would require additional degrees include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA).

Occupations with an Associate Degree in Finance

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected growth rate of 7% in business and financial occupations over the next decade (2021-2031).

The financial sector and business organizations are among the largest employers, and there are a projected 980,200 openings, on average, every year for these occupations.

Among the popular occupations for associate degree holders in finance are:

Financial clerk

Bookkeeper

Account resolution specialist

Billing specialist

Payroll assistant

Key Point: Associate degree holders in finance will find plenty of employment opportunities! Even better, jobs in the finance sector carry a median annual wage of $76,570 in business and financial occupations.

Selection Criteria for the Fastest Accelerated Online Associate Degree Programs in Finance

Here are the criteria that we took into consideration when determining the 20 fastest accerelated online associate degree in finance programs:

Accreditation: The college or university must have a current national or regional accreditation (e.g., Higher Learning Commission)
Quality: The school and the program itself must have a track record for academic quality, learning outcomes, and graduate outcomes for its academic programs
Student Support: The college or university must offer excellent student support services, from admission to graduation, for its online students
Programmatic Accrediation: While there’s no separate accrediting agency for finance degree programs, the programmatic accreditation for business programs will suffice.

The three most popular business program accrediting agencies are:

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB)
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)

For a look at even more fast online program rankings, take a look at our Guide to Accelerated Programs.

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Fastest Accelerated Online Associate’s of Finance Degree Programs 2025

Key Takeaways

Fastest Accelerated Online Associate's of Finance Degree Programs in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Fastest Online Associate Degree in Finance Programs

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for Finance degree at University of Cincinnati

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Middle Georgia State University

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Hinds Community College

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Wake Technical Community College

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Harper College

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Columbia State Community College

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Career Outlook for Finance degree at Madison Area Technical College

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