Best Online Associate Degrees in Alabama 2024

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN ALABAMA
By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Jenn Finley
Published:
Updated:

Featured Programs

Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Alabama

  1. Troy University
    • Tuition: $9K
  2. Faulkner University
    • Tuition: $24K
  3. Amridge University
    • Tuition: $10K
  4. Wallace State Community College
    • Tuition: $5K
  5. Shelton State Community College
    • Tuition: $5K
  6. Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
    • Tuition: $5K
  7. Heritage Christian University
    • Tuition: $12K
  8. Southern Union State Community College
    • Tuition: $5K

Key Takeaways

  • Earning an associate degree is an affordable way to get started on your college education and takes about two years to complete.
  • Many community colleges and two-year schools in Alabama offer both traditional and online degree programs for students pursuing their associate degree in a wide variety of disciplines.
  • Students who earn their online associate degree in their state of residence are typically eligible for in-state discount rates.

What is an Associate Degree?

An associate degree is a two-year degree that can be earned at state community colleges, vocational schools, and most accredited colleges and universities.

What will I study with an associate degree?

The associate degree provides an introductory level college education. You will usually take an array of liberal arts or humanities courses along with introductory level courses in a specific subject area. Most associate degree programs are available to both on campus students and online students.

Why get an associate degree?

There are several good reasons to get an associate degree. An associate degree is an affordable and accessible way to get a college education while improving your earning potential. The associate degree is popular both among students looking for entry-level work in their field, and for those who are already working.

The online degree is particularly popular at the associate level because so many students must balance work responsibilities and studies. Online courses and complete online programs make it possible for students to earn associate credits and degrees without disrupting daily work responsibilities.

The associate is also a far more affordable and accessible alternative to earning a bachelor’s degree. The associate degree takes about half as long to earn as a bachelor’s degree. Associate students need 60 credits to graduate, versus the 120 credits needed for a bachelor’s degree. And many state community colleges offer low tuition rates.

Can I get a job with an associate degree?

You can get an entry-level job in your field with an associate degree. Many students will use the associate degree as a way to get relevant job training before entering the job market. In fact, many associates will pursue entry level work in their field while earning a bachelor’s degree through online education.

Should I get an associate degree before pursuing a bachelor’s degree?

You may want to get an associate degree first to save money, or improve your admission chances, before getting a bachelor’s degree. The associate degree is a popular stepping stone for students who will seek a bachelor’s degree. When you earn an associate degree from an accredited state community college, you can usually transfer your credits toward your bachelor’s degree program.

Can I get an online degree at the associate level?

You can definitely get an online degree at the associate level. A growing number of online colleges offer high-quality associate-level online courses and complete online programs. Online students will typically take the same courses and curricula as on campus students.

Are associate degrees from online colleges respected?

Online degrees at the associate level are respected as long as these online degrees come from accredited community colleges or two-year schools. Regional accreditation is important when it comes to online colleges. If you plan to go into a bachelor’s degree program at a regionally accredited school, you must earn your online degree from a regionally accredited associate degree program.

If you need more answers to frequently asked questions about online degrees, we can help.

Best Online Associate Degrees in Alabama 2024

  1. #1

    Troy University

    Troy , AL
    #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2025 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama 2025 #7 Best Public Colleges in Alabama 2024 #8 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    19K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1050/20

    Career Outlook for degree at Troy University

    Cost of Degree: $9,792
    Expenses: $14,366
    Starting Salary: $41,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Now in its 20th year, Troy University delivers online programs taught by exceptional instructors with industry experience. With 9-week courses, students can participate in online discussions, submit assignments, and join forums any time of the day.

    What we love about Troy University:

    Its Associate’s program in General Education allows students to take the first step into completing an undergraduate degree, covering areas in communication and computer applications.

    Troy University is ideal for students who:

    Are looking for reliable online library services.

    Troy University might not be the best fit for students who:

    Prefer having more online associate programs to choose from.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AS in General Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  2. #2

    Faulkner University

    Montgomery , AL
    #16 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2024 #4 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2025 #5 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2025 #6 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $24K

    Acceptance

    82%

    Graduation

    33%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1040/20

    Career Outlook for degree at Faulkner University

    Cost of Degree: $23,920
    Expenses: $14,420
    Starting Salary: $40,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    With competitive tuition rates, Faulkner University is one of the best online institutions in the state. Distance learners can enjoy various learning resources, including an online bookstore, career workshops, and job fairs.

    What we love about Faulkner University:

    The university’s Online Associate in Liberal Arts program centers on critical thinking and problem-solving, covering important topics in subjects like Mathematics, Programming, Ethics, and Literature.

    Faulkner University is ideal for students who:

    Plan on working as a Computer Programmer or Web Developer.

    Faulkner University might not be the best fit for students who:

    Want to take up an online associate degree related to business and entrepreneurship.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AS in Computer and Information Science
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AA/AS in Liberal Arts
    • Required Credits: 62
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  3. #3

    Amridge University

    Montgomery , AL
    #3 Best Online Associate in Web Design #4 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #12 Most Affordable Online Associate Degree Programs Ranked for 2025 #14 Best Online MBA Programs in Alabama
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    50%

    Student body

    <1K

    Career Outlook for degree at Amridge University

    Cost of Degree: $10,470
    Starting Salary: $47,600

    As a Christian institution, Amridge University integrates faith into its fully online programs, producing career-ready graduates who are grounded in moral principles. Experienced professors from various disciplines, including Business, Psychology, and Human Services, teach its online classes.

    What we love about Amridge University:

    The school’s online Associate program in Liberal Studies allows students to develop foundational skills while allowing students to explore subjects like the humanities and natural sciences.

    Amridge University is ideal for students who:

    Would like to grow their faith on top of finishing an associate degree.

    Amridge University might not be the best fit for students who:

    Desire to take up an online associate degree in Computer Science.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AA in Business Administration
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Human Resource Leadership
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Information Systems Management
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Web Development
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Criminal Justice
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Human Development
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Liberal Studies
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Ministry/Bible
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  4. #4

    Wallace State Community College

    Hanceville , AL
    #4 Best Community Colleges in Alabama 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    45%

    Student body

    8K

    Career Outlook for degree at Wallace State Community College

    Cost of Degree: $4,980
    Expenses: $15,620
    Starting Salary: $34,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Known for its innovation, Wallace State Community College provides students with various flexible learning options like hybrid and online classes. Students enjoy a collaborative virtual community while receiving proper tech assistance.

    What we love about Wallace State Community College:

    The school’s online Associate Music Program prepares students in various fields, such as Music Therapy, Professional Performance, and Jazz Education.

    Wallace State Community College is ideal for students who:

    Are interested in the field of Forensic Psychology.

    Wallace State Community College might not be the best fit for students who:

    Are seeking a fully online degree in Paralegal Studies.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AAS in Business Education and Office Administration
    • Required Credits: 67
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Business Management
    • Required Credits: 67
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Transportation Management
    • Required Credits: 67
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Child Development
    • Required Credits: 67
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  5. #5

    Shelton State Community College

    Tuscaloosa , AL

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    7K

    Career Outlook for degree at Shelton State Community College

    Cost of Degree: $5,067
    Starting Salary: $31,100

    From certificates to associate programs, Shelton State Community College’s eLearning option is suitable for students looking to study while balancing work or family commitments. Its online learning format matches the high quality of training provided in on-campus classes.

    What we love about Shelton State Community College:

    The college’s online Associate in Office Management Technology allows students to focus on areas like bookkeeping and information processing.

    Shelton State Community College is ideal for students who:

    Require the assistance of a Career Coordinator.

    Shelton State Community College might not be the best fit for students who:

    Cannot attend on-campus proctored examinations.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AAS in Business Office Management and Technology

    Concentrations

    • Bookkeeping/Accounting
    • Information Processing
    • Legal Secretary
    • Medical Records
    • Paralegal
    • Required Credits: 70-71
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Management and Supervision

    Concentrations

    • General Business
    • Required Credits: 62-63
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  7. #6

    Lurleen B. Wallace Community College

    Andalusia , AL

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    34%

    Student body

    2K

    Career Outlook for degree at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College

    Cost of Degree: $4,980
    Expenses: $10,367
    Starting Salary: $32,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    With supportive professors, distance learners at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College can finish their associate degrees conveniently and on time. The college provides added support through 24/7 tutorials and dependable tech services.

    What we love about Lurleen B. Wallace Community College:

    The college offers courses for its online associate’s program, including Fine Arts, Mathematics, and Social Sciences.

    Lurleen B. Wallace Community College is ideal for students who:

    Need to loan laptops for their coursework.

    Lurleen B. Wallace Community College might not be the best fit for students who:

    Aren’t open to learning online platforms like Canvas.

    Online Associate Degrees

    Associate of Arts
    • Required Credits: 60-70
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    Associate of Science
    • Required Credits: 60-70
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  8. #7

    Heritage Christian University

    Florence , AL
    #5 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #19 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024 #20 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #21 Best Online Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    100%

    Student body

    <1K

    Heritage Christian University offers online curriculums that balance academic enrichment and character-building. With a strong emphasis on ministry, online students engage in courses that deepen their theological understanding and Christian values.

    What we love about Heritage Christian University:

    The university offers a Dual Enrollment Pathway that allows High School students to start their Associate’s degree coursework before they graduate.

    Heritage Christian University is ideal for students who:

    Prefer to access classes through a phone app.

    Heritage Christian University might not be the best fit for students who:

    Are unable to access Zoom for classes.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AA in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 63
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  9. #8

    Southern Union State Community College

    Wadley , AL
    #10 Best Community Colleges in Alabama 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    6K

    Career Outlook for degree at Southern Union State Community College

    Cost of Degree: $4,980
    Expenses: $13,050
    Starting Salary: $35,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Southern Union State Community College offers 120+ online courses through customizable schedules and accessible learning tools. Students may choose from several formats, including synchronous, hybrid, or fully-remote classes.

    What we love about Southern Union State Community College:

    On top of its online support services, the college offers an Emergency Laptop Program that allows students to borrow laptops without an added cost.

    Southern Union State Community College is ideal for students who:

    Want to become a Child Development worker.

    Southern Union State Community College might not be the best fit for students who:

    Aren’t willing to use webcam tools and mirrors during exams.

    Online Associate Degrees

    AS in General Studies
    • Required Credits: 60-64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school

Alabama is just one of many states offering excellent online associate’s degrees. To check out our rankings, look into the best online associate’s degrees in Arkansas, California, Arizona, and more!

Back to Top

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Online College-Bound Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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