Best Online Associate in Communications

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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

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  1. City College of San Francisco
  2. Montgomery College
  3. Seminole State College of Florida
  4. Andrew College
  5. Northern Virginia Community College
  6. Bucks County Community College
  7. Brigham Young University–Idaho
  8. Pima Community College
  9. College of Southern Nevada
  10. Washtenaw Community College
  1. Anne Arundel Community College
  2. City College of San Francisco
  3. Lone Star College System
  4. Northern Virginia Community College
  5. College of Southern Nevada
  6. Montgomery College
  7. Pima Community College
  8. Campbellsville University
  9. Brigham Young University–Idaho
  10. Seminole State College of Florida
  1. Brigham Young University–Idaho 96%
  2. Andrew College 50%
  1. Coastline Community College 30 to 1
  2. Northern Virginia Community College 28 to 1
  3. Seminole State College of Florida 26 to 1
  4. Campbellsville University 23 to 1
  5. College of Southern Idaho 22 to 1
  6. Northwest Mississippi Community College 21 to 1
  7. Lone Star College System 21 to 1
  8. City College of San Francisco 20 to 1
  9. Brigham Young University–Idaho 19 to 1
  10. SUNY Broome Community College 19 to 1
  1. Campbellsville University $26,100
  2. Andrew College $18,214
  3. Colorado Christian University $17,476
  4. Montgomery College $8,070
  5. Anne Arundel Community College $7,920
  6. Bucks County Community College $7,920
  7. Southwestern Illinois College $6,120
  8. Community College of Baltimore County $5,784
  9. Northern Virginia Community College $5,412
  10. SUNY Broome Community College $5,280
  1. Colorado Christian University $13,931
  2. Campbellsville University $8,904
  1. Southwestern Illinois College
  2. Northwest Mississippi Community College
  3. College of Southern Idaho
  4. Coastline Community College
  5. SUNY Broome Community College
  6. Campbellsville University
  7. Monterey Peninsula College
  8. Western Wyoming Community College
  9. Austin Community College District
  10. Lone Star College System
  1. SUNY Broome Community College
  2. Western Wyoming Community College
  3. Bristol Community College
  4. Northwest Mississippi Community College
  5. Andrew College
  6. Bucks County Community College
  7. Community College of Baltimore County
  8. Southeast Community College
  9. Washtenaw Community College
  10. Southwestern Illinois College
  1. Andrew College 50%
  2. Brigham Young University–Idaho 96%
  1. Andrew College 7 to 1
  2. Southeast Community College 11 to 1
  3. Western Wyoming Community College 12 to 1
  4. Bucks County Community College 13 to 1
  5. Bristol Community College 14 to 1
  6. Community College of Baltimore County 14 to 1
  7. Anne Arundel Community College 16 to 1
  8. Colorado Christian University 16 to 1
  9. Montgomery College 16 to 1
  10. Southwestern Illinois College 17 to 1
  1. Bristol Community College $576
  2. Coastline Community College $1,104
  3. Monterey Peninsula College $1,104
  4. Austin Community College District $2,010
  5. Pima Community College $2,136
  6. Seminole State College of Florida $2,393
  7. Western Wyoming Community College $2,520
  8. Southeast Community College $2,856
  9. Northwest Mississippi Community College $3,200
  10. College of Southern Nevada $3,383
  1. Campbellsville University $8,904
  2. 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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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Learn more about how to major in communications.

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

  1. #2

    Montgomery College

    Rockville , MD
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    28%

    Student body

    24K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Montgomery College

    Cost of Degree: $10,398
    Starting Salary: $33,254
    Salary after 4 years: $42,640

    Online Degrees

    AA in General Studies

    Concentrations

    • Humanities
    • Arts
    • Communication And Languages
    • Social Sciences
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  2. #4

    Andrew College

    Cuthbert , GA

    Tuition + fees

    $18K

    Acceptance

    50%

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Communication
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  3. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $2K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    32K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Pima Community College

    Cost of Degree: $2,370
    Starting Salary: $25,302
    Salary after 4 years: $32,443

    Online Degrees

    AA in Liberal Arts

    Concentrations

    • General
    • Administration of Justice
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Communication
    • Early Childhood Education
    • Elementary Education
    • English
    • Ethnic
    • Gender and Transborder Studies
    • Fashion Design
    • History
    • Political Science
    • Social Services
    • Sociology
    • Translation and Interpretation Studies
    • Required Credits: 60-64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  4. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    28%

    Student body

    19K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Washtenaw Community College

    Cost of Degree: $4,584
    Starting Salary: $25,013
    Salary after 4 years: $32,073

    Online Degrees

    AA in Liberal Arts

    Concentrations

    • Communication
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AA in Technical Communication
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    31%

    Student body

    13K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Southeast Community College

    Cost of Degree: $3,388
    Expenses: $12,745
    Starting Salary: $29,061
    Salary after 4 years: $37,264
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    AA in Business Communications
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  6. #13

    Bristol Community College

    Fall River , MA

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    22%

    Student body

    8K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Bristol Community College

    Cost of Degree: $5,412
    Starting Salary: $25,374
    Salary after 4 years: $32,536

    Online Degrees

    AA in Communication
    • Required Credits: 61-63
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  7. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $18K

    Graduation

    61%

    Student body

    16K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Communication Studies
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  8. #16

    Lone Star College System

    The Woodlands , TX
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    103K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Lone Star College System

    Cost of Degree: $5,544
    Starting Salary: $29,495
    Salary after 4 years: $37,820

    Online Degrees

    AA in Speech Communication
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  9. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Graduation

    14%

    Student body

    57K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Austin Community College District

    Cost of Degree: $8,580
    Starting Salary: $29,134
    Salary after 4 years: $37,356

    Online Degrees

    AS in Business, Government and Technical Communication

    Concentrations

    • Social Media Communications
    • Business and Government Communications
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Communications
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  10. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    34%

    Student body

    3K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Western Wyoming Community College

    Cost of Degree: $4,250
    Expenses: $12,610
    Starting Salary: $27,832
    Salary after 4 years: $35,688
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    AA in Communication
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  11. Tuition + fees

    $1K

    Graduation

    27%

    Student body

    10K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Monterey Peninsula College

    Cost of Degree: $1,188
    Starting Salary: $28,555
    Salary after 4 years: $36,615

    Online Degrees

    AA in General Studies

    Concentrations

    • Communication and Analytical Thinking
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  12. Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Graduation

    22%

    Student body

    7K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at SUNY Broome Community College

    Cost of Degree: $7,470
    Expenses: $18,400
    Starting Salary: $25,374
    Salary after 4 years: $32,536
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    AS in Visual Communication Arts
    • Required Credits: 62
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  13. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    9K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Northwest Mississippi Community College

    Cost of Degree: $3,660
    Expenses: $9,815
    Starting Salary: $23,061
    Salary after 4 years: $29,570
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    AS in Marketing Communication And Public Relations Management
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  14. Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    28%

    Student body

    14K

    Career Outlook for Communications degree at Southwestern Illinois College

    Cost of Degree: $6,390
    Starting Salary: $22,194
    Salary after 4 years: $28,457

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Graphic Communications
    • Required Credits: 63-65
    • Completion time: 2 Years
    • Format: Online

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*: $4,153
  • Avg. Expenses*: $15,121
  • Avg. Starting Salary*: $27,373
  • Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $35,099
  • Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 7 years
  • Job Growth: 4.14%
  • Number of Jobs: 926,700
  • * denotes ‘annually’
  • ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

CareerJob GrowthAvg. Salary
Public Relations Managers6.89%$134,760
Fundraising Managers6.02%$119,200
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary3.43%$79,910
Editors-2.01%$75,020
Writers and Authors5.11%$73,690

Top Industries

IndustryAvg. Salary
Public Relations Managers$134,760
Fundraising Managers$119,200
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$79,910
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Online Communications Programs Looking for You

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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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