Best Online Associate in Education

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN EDUCATION

By Dr. James Barham and Dr. James Barham

Published: Jun 21, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online associate degree in education programs to help prepare students on how to manage a classroom and develop lesson plans while also exploring benchmarks of childhood psychology.

Top 10 Online Associate in Education Degree Programs

Liberty University
Empire State University
Brenau University
Point University
Blinn College
Campbellsville University
College of Southern Nevada
Community College of Denver
University of the Cumberlands
Monroe Community College

Liberty University
Blinn College
LeTourneau University
College of Southern Nevada
Empire State University
Brenau University
Community College of Denver
Pima Community College
Brookdale Community College
Campbellsville University

Liberty University 99%
Northwest Nazarene University 88%
Brenau University 87%
University of the Cumberlands 83%
North Greenville University 76%
Toccoa Falls College 68%
LeTourneau University 49%
Point University 24%

Blinn College 35 to 1
Coastline Community College 30 to 1
Volunteer State Community College 24 to 1
Campbellsville University 23 to 1
College of Southern Idaho 22 to 1
Front Range Community College 21 to 1
Community College of Denver 20 to 1
Tyler Junior College 20 to 1
Pima Community College 19 to 1
Brookdale Community College 18 to 1

Northwest Nazarene University $36,298
LeTourneau University $34,470
Brenau University $32,685
Campbellsville University $26,100
North Greenville University $23,590
Liberty University $22,511
Toccoa Falls College $22,350
Point University $22,300
University of the Cumberlands $9,875
Brookdale Community College $7,755

LeTourneau University $16,875
Brenau University $14,130
Point University $13,014
Toccoa Falls College $12,240
North Greenville University $12,220
Empire State University $11,310
Northwest Nazarene University $11,093
Campbellsville University $8,904
Liberty University $7,893
University of the Cumberlands $4,282

College of Southern Idaho
Volunteer State Community College
Brookdale Community College
Coastline Community College
Community College of Aurora
Rowan College at Burlington County
LeTourneau University
Tyler Junior College
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
North Greenville University

Point University
Rowan College at Burlington County
Volunteer State Community College
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Community College of Aurora
Washtenaw Community College
College of Southern Idaho
Coastline Community College
Toccoa Falls College
Front Range Community College

Point University 24%
LeTourneau University 49%
Toccoa Falls College 68%
North Greenville University 76%
University of the Cumberlands 83%
Brenau University 87%
Northwest Nazarene University 88%
Liberty University 99%

Brenau University 11 to 1
Point University 13 to 1
Community College of Aurora 13 to 1
LeTourneau University 13 to 1
North Greenville University 13 to 1
Northwest Nazarene University 13 to 1
Toccoa Falls College 17 to 1
Empire State University 17 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 17 to 1
Monroe Community College 17 to 1

Coastline Community College $1,104
Pima Community College $2,136
Tyler Junior College $2,208
College of Southern Nevada $3,383
Blinn College $3,600
Community College of Denver $3,754
Community College of Aurora $3,754
Front Range Community College $3,754
Rowan College at Burlington County $3,816
Washtenaw Community College $4,056

University of the Cumberlands $4,282
Liberty University $7,893
Campbellsville University $8,904
Northwest Nazarene University $11,093
Empire State University $11,310
North Greenville University $12,220
Toccoa Falls College $12,240
Point University $13,014
Brenau University $14,130
LeTourneau University $16,875

Key Takeaways

The associate degree in education 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 education.

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

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Education Degrees

The online associate degree in education is an affordable way to get started on a degree in education. Students who earn online associate degrees in education will qualify for a variety of entry level education roles as teaching assistants and care providers in early childhood education settings. The online associate in education program is also a great starting point for students interested in becoming classroom teachers. Earning an online associate in education can help you save money before advancing into a bachelor’s degree program.

An average associate degree program takes 60 credit hours and two years to complete, but this timeline can be accelerated through summer classes or online courses.

Students pursuing the online associate degree program in education will balance general education courses with core courses in teaching and education like curriculum development, pedagogy, educational psychology and more. .

Education associate degree graduates will qualify for a variety of entry level opportunities as teaching assistants, daycare assistants, substitute teachers, and preschool teachers. Students who earn the online associate degree in education will have improved employment prospects relative to those with a high school diploma.

However, many roles in education do require the completion of at least a bachelor’s degree program. Students who pursue bachelor’s degrees in this area will often combine the education major with courses in early childhood education or a related area. And in some states, becoming a tenured public school teacher would require you to earn a master’s degree in education.

Students who plan to become public school teachers will typically advance into bachelor’s programs in specific areas like elementary education, early childhood education, or educational administration. The online associate degree program is an affordable and accessible way to get started on your path to a bachelor’s program in education as well as a great stepping stone for those planning to earn their teaching certification.

The online associate degree in education is respected as long as this associate’s degree has been granted by a fully accredited online program. Prospective students considering an online associate degree program should also understand the difference between online programs with national or regional accreditation. Typically, online associate degree programs with regional accreditation are considered a higher quality. Make sure your online program is accredited by the colleges and schools commission in your region, especially if you plan to continue into a a bachelor’s degree program.

Learn more about how to major in education.

How do we determine the best online education 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 education.

25 Best Online Associate in Education Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Education Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Educational Leadership And Administration

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $2,070
Avg. Expenses*: $14,772
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 1.60%
Number of Jobs: 651,000
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Training and Development Managers	6.54%	$111,455
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	1.10%	$96,328
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	3.53%	$94,550
Education Administrators, All Other	2.78%	$86,555
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	-2.94%	$49,873

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$57,617	$89,633	$143,355

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 New York	5% higher than average	$118,999
#3 Georgia	13% higher than average	$95,747
#4 Virginia	5% higher than average	$99,731
#5 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$89,691
#6 Delaware	2% higher than average	$105,079
#7 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$97,522
#8 Michigan	15% higher than average	$86,598
#9 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$94,498
#10 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$114,219
#11 Washington	7% higher than average	$107,328
#12 Kansas	9% higher than average	$91,351
#13 Ohio	14% higher than average	$83,321
#14 Missouri	16% higher than average	$80,432
#15 Alabama	13% higher than average	$82,700
#16 Idaho	7% higher than average	$88,158
#17 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$87,258
#18 Colorado	3% higher than average	$97,193
#19 Illinois	7% higher than average	$87,283
#20 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$91,625
#21 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$80,773
#22 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$76,480
#23 Texas	10% higher than average	$83,393
#24 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$85,960
#25 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$78,663
#26 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$86,849
#27 North Dakota	average	$91,508
#28 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$83,834
#29 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$107,024
#30 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$80,179
#31 Iowa	9% higher than average	$81,436
#32 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$80,945
#33 Maryland	18% higher than average	$105,360
#34 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$74,589
#35 California	26% higher than average	$110,098
#36 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$81,021
#37 Indiana	11% higher than average	$77,331
#38 Alaska	23% higher than average	$106,243
#39 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$102,863
#40 Arizona	5% higher than average	$80,556
#41 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$74,865
#42 Utah	4% higher than average	$80,473
#43 Oregon	11% higher than average	$92,189
#44 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$99,998
#45 Florida	6% higher than average	$72,553
#46 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$114,104
#47 Montana	3% higher than average	$73,638
#48 Nevada	5% higher than average	$79,542
#49 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$83,246
#50 Vermont	13% higher than average	$83,058
#51 Maine	9% higher than average	$79,740
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$82,854

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Training and Development Managers	$111,455
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$96,328
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$94,550
Education Administrators, All Other	$86,555
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	$49,873

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 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 Education

Top 10 Online Associate in Education Degree Programs

Key Takeaways

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Education Degrees

Why get an associate in education?

How long does it take to get an associate degree in education?

What will I learn while getting an associate degree in education?

What can I do with an associate degree in education?

Is an online associate degree in education respected?

25 Best Online Associate in Education Degree Programs

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Career Outlook for Students with Education Degree

Educational Leadership And Administration

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

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?+

Resources for Online College-Bound Students

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