Best Online Associate in Emergency Management 2025
Find top-ranked online associate in emergency management degree programs to prepare students starting their career as a firefighter, police officer, or paramedic.
Key Takeaways
- The associate degree in emergency management 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 emergency management.
- Earning an online associate degree in emergency management can prepare you for a variety of entry level jobs in your field. Many students also continue into a bachelor’s degree program in emergency management or a related area.
Top 10 Online Associate in Emergency Management in 2025
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 best online associate’s in emergency management saw substantial ranking changes. New England College gained the most ranking positions as the university developed the Crisis Simulation Lab, providing students with hands-on training in disaster response, emergency planning, and crisis communication through realistic simulations.
Additionally, NEC has integrated new courses focusing on cybersecurity in emergency management and climate change resilience, addressing the evolving challenges in the field. The college has also strengthened its partnerships with local and regional emergency services agencies, offering students more internship opportunities and fieldwork experiences in real-world emergency management settings. These updates make the program more dynamic and relevant to current industry demands.
Featured Programs
Best Online Associate in Emergency Management Degree Programs
- #1 Best Online Colleges for Students Who Work Part-Time 2025 #3 Best Online Associate Degrees in New York 2025 #7 Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management 2025 #7 Best Online Master's in Sports Management 2025
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
67%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/25
Online Degrees
AS in Emergency Services Administration
- Required Credits: 64
- Completion time: 2-3 years
- Format: Online
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Grad Schools in Arkansas 2025
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
53%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/22
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Arkansas State University
Cost of Degree: $7,754Expenses: $18,472Starting Salary: $43,729Salary after 4 years: $55,811Cost Recoup Time: 6 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AAS in Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #12 Top 20 Best Military Friendly Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky 2025 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Kentucky 2025 #5 Best Public Colleges in Kentucky 2025
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
49%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1062/20
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Eastern Kentucky University
Cost of Degree: $10,130Expenses: $14,535Starting Salary: $46,955Salary after 4 years: $59,928Cost Recoup Time: 5 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AS in Paramedicine
- Required Credits: 64
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Idaho 2025 #3 Best Grad Schools in Idaho 2024 #3 Best Research Universities in Idaho 2025 #3 Best Public Colleges in Idaho 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
37%
Student body
15K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Idaho State University
Cost of Degree: $8,356Expenses: $14,854Starting Salary: $52,451Salary after 4 years: $66,942Cost Recoup Time: 5 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AS in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #2 Best Small Colleges in New Hampshire 2025 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New Hampshire 2025 #4 Best Private Colleges in New Hampshire 2025 #5 Best Colleges in New Hampshire 2025
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
31%
Student body
5K
Online Degrees
AA in Homeland Security And Emergency Preparedness
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #1 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs #2 Best Online Associate in Web Design #3 Best Online Associate in Cybersecurity #3 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Florida 2025
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
38%
Student body
33K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at St. Petersburg College
Cost of Degree: $2,682Starting Salary: $43,849Salary after 4 years: $55,963Online Degrees
AS in Emergency Administration And Management
Concentrations
- Emergency Administration And Management
- Homeland Security
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #4 Best Online Associate in Cybersecurity #7 Best Online Associate in Hospitality and Tourism #8 Most Affordable Online Associate Degree Programs Ranked for 2025 #9 Best Online Associate Degrees in Texas 2024
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
17%
Student body
17K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Central Texas College
Cost of Degree: $3,900Expenses: $13,021Starting Salary: $41,698Salary after 4 years: $53,218Cost Recoup Time: 4 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AAS in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2-3 years
- Format: Online
- #2 Best Online Associate in Entrepreneurship #3 Best Online Associate in Small Business Management #3 Best Online Associate in Business Management #7 Best Online Associate Degrees in Michigan 2024
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
17%
Student body
13K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Schoolcraft College
Cost of Degree: $5,982Starting Salary: $43,251Salary after 4 years: $55,201Online Degrees
AAS in Fire and Emergency Services
- Required Credits: 60-78
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #2 Best Community Colleges in Idaho 2025 #3 Best Online Associate in American Sign Language (ASL) Degree Programs #3 Best Online Associate Degrees in Idaho 2025 #4 Best Online Associate in Biology
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
31%
Student body
14K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at College of Southern Idaho
Cost of Degree: $4,560Expenses: $11,188Starting Salary: $40,264Salary after 4 years: $51,389Cost Recoup Time: 4 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AAS in Emergency Medical Services
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #11 Most Affordable Online Colleges Ranked for Students 2024 #5 Best Public Colleges in New Hampshire 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in New Hampshire 2024 #9 Best Small Colleges in New Hampshire 2025
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
15%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Granite State College
Cost of Degree: $7,812Starting Salary: $46,955Salary after 4 years: $59,928Online Degrees
AS in Business
Concentrations
- Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
AS in Behavioral Science
Concentrations
- Court Advocacy
- Criminal Justice
- Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #5 Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania 2025 #6 Best Online Associate in Communications #8 Best Online Associate Degrees in Pennsylvania 2024 #12 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs
Tuition + fees
$9K
Graduation
25%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Bucks County Community College
Cost of Degree: $9,184Starting Salary: $50,539Salary after 4 years: $64,502Online Degrees
AA in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 62-63
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #3 Best Accredited Online Trade Schools for Vocational Skills #3 Best Community Colleges in North Carolina 2024 #3 Best Online Associate in Building and Construction Degree Programs #4 Best Online Associate in Graphic Design 2025
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
31%
Student body
30K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Wake Technical Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,336Starting Salary: $41,817Salary after 4 years: $53,371Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Medical Science Bridge
- Required Credits: 75
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #2 Best Online Associate in Agribusiness Degree Programs 2025 #7 Best Online Associate Degrees in Arizona 2025 #7 Best Online Associate's in Physics 2025 #7 Best Online Associate in Biology
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
21%
Student body
12K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Arizona Western College
Cost of Degree: $2,820Expenses: $16,508Starting Salary: $38,233Salary after 4 years: $48,796Cost Recoup Time: 5 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryOnline Degrees
AAS in Emergency Medical Services Paramedic
- Required Credits: 66
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
AAS in Emergency and Disaster Management
- Required Credits: 64
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
AA in Theatre
- Required Credits: 64
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #9 Best Community Colleges in North Carolina 2024 #6 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs #7 Best Online Associate Degrees in North Carolina 2025 #22 Best Online Associate's in General Science 2025
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
30%
Student body
23K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Cape Fear Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,748Starting Salary: $37,755Salary after 4 years: $48,186Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 69
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
24%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Durham Technical Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,290Starting Salary: $37,994Salary after 4 years: $48,491Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 67
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #8 Best Accredited Online Trade Schools for Vocational Skills #5 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs #6 Best Online Associate in Hospitality and Tourism #13 Most Affordable Online Associate Degree Programs Ranked for 2025
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
16%
Student body
13K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Fayetteville Technical Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,628Starting Salary: $36,680Salary after 4 years: $46,814Online Degrees
AA in Emergency Management Technology
- Required Credits: 68
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #9 Best Online Associate Degrees in Arizona 2025 #9 Best Online Associate in Anthropology #9 Best Online Associate in Philosophy #9 Best Online Associate in Game Development
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
13%
Student body
9K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Paradise Valley Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,358Starting Salary: $48,389Salary after 4 years: $61,758Online Degrees
AAS in Paramedicine
- Required Credits: 63-75
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
33%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Frederick Community College
Cost of Degree: $7,444Starting Salary: $50,300Salary after 4 years: $64,198Online Degrees
AS in Emergency Management Track Ii
Concentrations
- Fema Independent Study
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
- #11 Best Accredited Online Trade Schools for Vocational Skills #2 Best Online Associate in Building and Construction Degree Programs #17 Best Online Associate Degrees in North Carolina 2025 #23 Best Online Associate in Entrepreneurship
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
29%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Forsyth Technical Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,256Starting Salary: $35,844Salary after 4 years: $45,746Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 65
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
50%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Blue Ridge Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,660Starting Salary: $35,366Salary after 4 years: $45,136Online Degrees
AS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 64
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
29%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Lenoir Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,568Starting Salary: $35,127Salary after 4 years: $44,832Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 67
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
AAS in Emergency Medical Science Bridging
- Required Credits: 68-71
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #4 Best Online Associate in Health Information Technology & Informatics #6 Best Online Associate in Web Design #19 Best Online Associate in Health Science Degree Programs #20 Best Online Associate in Finance
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
40%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Nash Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,883Starting Salary: $34,410Salary after 4 years: $43,917Online Degrees
AEM in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 70-72
- Completion time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #8 Best Online Associate in Agribusiness Degree Programs 2025 #11 Best Online Associate Degrees in Virginia 2024
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
44%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Southwest Virginia Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,901Starting Salary: $35,844Salary after 4 years: $45,746Online Degrees
AAS in Emergency Management & Preparedness
Concentrations
- Administration Of Justice Specialization
- Required Credits: 66
- Completion time: 2 years
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
38%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Coastal Carolina Community College
Cost of Degree: $2,462Starting Salary: $37,038Salary after 4 years: $47,271Online Degrees
AS in Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 66-67
- Completion time: 2 Years
- Format: Online
- #4 Best Online Associate in French Degree Programs #6 Best Online Associate in Building and Construction Degree Programs #11 Best Online Associate in Economics #11 Best Online Associate in Biology
Tuition + fees
$1K
Graduation
23%
Student body
14K
Career Outlook for Emergency Management degree at Coastline Community College
Cost of Degree: $1,180Starting Salary: $51,495Salary after 4 years: $65,722Online Degrees
AA in Emergency Management
Concentrations
- Criminal Justice
- Homeland Security
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion time: 2-3 years
- Format: Online
Career Outlook for Students with Emergency Management Degree
Go to Degree Finder toolCrisis/Emergency/Disaster Management
Degree Level: Associate's
- Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
- Avg. Cost of Degree*: $3,987
- Avg. Expenses*: $17,051
- Avg. Starting Salary*: $42,663
- Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $54,450
- Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
- Job Growth: 5.54%
- Number of Jobs: 1,439,400
- * denotes ‘annually’
- ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’
Career Salaries
Career | Job Growth | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|
Managers, All Other | 5.75% | $133,560 |
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 3.81% | $101,750 |
Emergency Management Directors | 4.03% | $83,960 |
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 3.21% | $79,870 |
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.11% | $69,030 |
Top Industries
Industry | Avg. Salary |
---|---|
Managers, All Other | $133,560 |
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $101,750 |
Emergency Management Directors | $83,960 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Emergency Management Degrees
An associate degree in emergency management is an affordable first step whether you’re just getting a start in your career, or you already have work experience as a firefighter, police officer, or paramedic. The online emergency management degree makes it possible to earn your associate’s degree without disrupting your professional responsibilities. With a growing number of online degree programs for emergency management professionals, you have plenty of options for advancing your career in the emergency management field.
Back to TopAlthough the traditional emergency management program is offered on campus, a growing number of community colleges offer an introductory emergency management degree program online. Students must typically earn 60 credits, whether completing a traditional emergency management degree program or earning an online emergency management degree.
Back to TopStudents may also have the option to earn either an associate of arts or an associate of science and to select from several degree variations, including emergency management and homeland security; fire and emergency management; and emergency and disaster management.
Back to TopCore courses cover topics like disaster prevention, infrastructure planning, and communications. Students may need other work experience or degrees beyond their associate to obtain or advance careers in this field.
Back to TopEarning an online emergency management degree can qualify you for a variety of entry level roles either in public service or in the private sector. This may include roles like emergency medical technician, first-responder, and Homeland Security agent. Student who wish to pursue leadership roles such as emergency management director or Certified emergency manager will likely need to earn a bachelor’s degree or a professional certification.
Back to TopOnline Emergency Management Programs Looking for You
There are many amazing options for getting your online associate’s degree! You could also get your associate’s in information systems, human services, or communications! Look into a plethora of options and then decide which one works best 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.
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.