Best Online Associate in Communications

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN COMMUNICATIONS

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online associate in communications degree programs to prepare students to enter the workforce as technical writers, broadcast technicians, public relations specialists, and marketing managers.

Top 10 Online Associate in Communications

City College of San Francisco
Montgomery College
Seminole State College of Florida
Andrew College
Northern Virginia Community College
Bucks County Community College
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Pima Community College
College of Southern Nevada
Washtenaw Community College

Anne Arundel Community College
City College of San Francisco
Lone Star College System
Northern Virginia Community College
College of Southern Nevada
Montgomery College
Pima Community College
Campbellsville University
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Seminole State College of Florida

Brigham Young University–Idaho 96%
Andrew College 50%

Coastline Community College 30 to 1
Northern Virginia Community College 28 to 1
Seminole State College of Florida 26 to 1
Campbellsville University 23 to 1
College of Southern Idaho 22 to 1
Lone Star College System 21 to 1
Northwest Mississippi Community College 21 to 1
City College of San Francisco 20 to 1
Brigham Young University–Idaho 19 to 1
SUNY Broome Community College 19 to 1

Campbellsville University $26,100
Andrew College $18,214
Colorado Christian University $17,476
Montgomery College $8,070
Anne Arundel Community College $7,920
Bucks County Community College $7,920
Southwestern Illinois College $6,120
Community College of Baltimore County $5,784
Northern Virginia Community College $5,412
SUNY Broome Community College $5,280

Colorado Christian University $13,931
Campbellsville University $8,904

Southwestern Illinois College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
College of Southern Idaho
Coastline Community College
SUNY Broome Community College
Campbellsville University
Monterey Peninsula College
Western Wyoming Community College
Austin Community College District
Lone Star College System

SUNY Broome Community College
Western Wyoming Community College
Bristol Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Andrew College
Bucks County Community College
Community College of Baltimore County
Southeast Community College
Washtenaw Community College
Southwestern Illinois College

Andrew College 50%
Brigham Young University–Idaho 96%

Andrew College 7 to 1
Southeast Community College 11 to 1
Western Wyoming Community College 12 to 1
Bucks County Community College 13 to 1
Community College of Baltimore County 14 to 1
Bristol Community College 14 to 1
Anne Arundel Community College 16 to 1
Montgomery College 16 to 1
Colorado Christian University 16 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 17 to 1

Bristol Community College $576
Coastline Community College $1,104
Monterey Peninsula College $1,104
Austin Community College District $2,010
Pima Community College $2,136
Seminole State College of Florida $2,393
Western Wyoming Community College $2,520
Southeast Community College $2,856
Northwest Mississippi Community College $3,200
College of Southern Nevada $3,383

Campbellsville University $8,904
Colorado Christian University $13,931

Key Takeaways

The associate degree in communications is an affordable way to get started on your college education. The typical associate degree will take about two years to complete.

Many community colleges and two-year schools offer both traditional and online degree programs for students pursuing their associate degree in communications.

Earning an online associate degree in communications can prepare you for a variety of entry level jobs in your field. Many students also continue into a bachelor’s degree program in communications or a related area.

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

An associate degree in communications can help you get your foot in the door in the fields of business, human resources, marketing, public relations, and media. Strong communication skills are extremely valuable in a wide variety of professional sectors. Your technical writing, organizational communication, and public speaking skills will qualify you to work in a broad range of professional settings.

Students completing the communication studies program will typically be required to complete 60 credits in subjects like intercultural communication, mass media, professional communications, communications law, and more. Students completing the associate degree program will typically begin with a focus on communication theory and communication ethics. The associate’s degree in communications also helps students hone their use of both their written communication skills and public speaking skills. Most community colleges offer both an on-campus and online associate degree in communications.

Earning an online associate degree in communications will prepare you to work as a technical writer, broadcast technician, public relations specialist, marketing manager, and more. Many community college programs also offer a bachelor’s degree pathway for those looking to continue on to a four-year degree in communications.

Learn more about how to major in communications.

How do we determine the best online communications associate degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

An associate degree is a great way for many to start their educational journey, but you may want to also consider an online bachelor’s in communications.

25 Best Online Associate in Communications Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Communications Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Communication

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $3,455
Avg. Expenses*: $14,586
Avg. Starting Salary*: $24,116
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $35,099
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 2.98%
Number of Jobs: 920,200
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Public Relations Managers	5.97%	$119,176
Fundraising Managers	5.04%	$103,968
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary	3.57%	$72,568
Writers and Authors	3.70%	$65,547
Editors	-3.93%	$62,469
Public Relations Specialists	6.06%	$61,166
Media and Communication Workers, All Other	4.26%	$58,366
Fundraisers	5.24%	$57,772
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	-3.25%	$48,039
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	-11.43%	$40,804

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$42,827	$69,084	$118,541

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 New York	5% higher than average	$98,027
#3 Virginia	5% higher than average	$85,544
#4 California	26% higher than average	$108,436
#5 Georgia	13% higher than average	$69,820
#6 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$90,417
#7 Colorado	3% higher than average	$81,604
#8 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$69,787
#9 Delaware	2% higher than average	$80,274
#10 Michigan	15% higher than average	$66,387
#11 Ohio	14% higher than average	$66,826
#12 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$92,402
#13 Missouri	16% higher than average	$64,833
#14 Texas	10% higher than average	$67,996
#15 Illinois	7% higher than average	$70,380
#16 Washington	7% higher than average	$80,754
#17 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$70,091
#18 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$69,964
#19 Kansas	9% higher than average	$65,718
#20 Indiana	11% higher than average	$63,582
#21 Iowa	9% higher than average	$64,775
#22 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$60,938
#23 Florida	6% higher than average	$66,736
#24 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$65,853
#25 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$86,808
#26 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$59,801
#27 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$64,708
#28 Utah	4% higher than average	$65,658
#29 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$101,337
#30 Nevada	5% higher than average	$71,166
#31 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$58,992
#32 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$79,393
#33 Alabama	13% higher than average	$57,920
#34 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$62,736
#35 Arizona	5% higher than average	$63,061
#36 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$54,974
#37 Maryland	18% higher than average	$76,816
#38 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$73,061
#39 Idaho	7% higher than average	$59,673
#40 Montana	3% higher than average	$61,392
#41 Oregon	11% higher than average	$70,121
#42 North Dakota	average	$63,086
#43 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$56,497
#44 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$49,956
#45 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$53,683
#46 Maine	9% higher than average	$63,809
#47 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$53,713
#48 Alaska	23% higher than average	$71,334
#49 Vermont	13% higher than average	$63,449
#50 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$49,654
#51 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$49,347
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$63,583

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Public Relations Managers	$119,176
Fundraising Managers	$103,968
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary	$72,568
Writers and Authors	$65,547
Editors	$62,469
Public Relations Specialists	$61,166
Media and Communication Workers, All Other	$58,366
Fundraisers	$57,772
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	$48,039
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	$40,804

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.

Online Communications Programs Looking for You

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.

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.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Associate in Communications

Top 10 Online Associate in Communications

Key Takeaways

Featured Programs

Why get an associate in communications?

What courses will I take when getting an associate in communications?

What can I do with an associate in communications?

25 Best Online Associate in Communications Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Communications degree at City College of San Francisco

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Montgomery College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Seminole State College of Florida

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Northern Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Bucks County Community College

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Pima Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at College of Southern Nevada

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Washtenaw Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Anne Arundel Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Southeast Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Bristol Community College

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Community College of Baltimore County

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Lone Star College System

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Austin Community College District

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Western Wyoming Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Monterey Peninsula College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at SUNY Broome Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Coastline Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Communications degree at College of Southern Idaho

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Northwest Mississippi Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Communications degree at Southwestern Illinois College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with Communications Degree

Communication

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

Online Communications Programs Looking for You

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier than campus-based college?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+