Best Online Associate in English

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Jan 12, 2024

Find top-ranked online associate in english degree programs to help students get on the right pathway toward a career in writing, teaching, film, communications, or journalism.

Top 10 Online English Associate Degrees

Sacramento City College
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Central Methodist University
Northern Virginia Community College
Brookdale Community College
Saddleback College
Anne Arundel Community College
Navarro College
Pima Community College
Bucks County Community College

Anne Arundel Community College
Sacramento City College
Central Methodist University
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Northern Virginia Community College
Blinn College
Navarro College
College of Southern Nevada
Community College of Denver
Saddleback College

Central Methodist University 98%
Delaware Valley University 95%
Southwestern Assemblies of God University 86%
Tusculum University 81%

Blinn College 35 to 1
Northern Virginia Community College 28 to 1
Sacramento City College 25 to 1
Saddleback College 24 to 1
Allan Hancock College 22 to 1
College of Southern Idaho 22 to 1
Navarro College 21 to 1
Front Range Community College 21 to 1
Community College of Denver 20 to 1
Tyler Junior College 20 to 1

Delaware Valley University $42,120
Tusculum University $27,208
Central Methodist University $27,140
Southwestern Assemblies of God University $17,782
Kishwaukee College $8,820
Anne Arundel Community College $7,920
Bucks County Community College $7,920
Brookdale Community College $7,755
Community College of Baltimore County $5,784
Northern Virginia Community College $5,412

Tusculum University $13,050
Delaware Valley University $8,832
Southwestern Assemblies of God University $8,280

West Virginia Northern Community College
Kishwaukee College
Blinn College
Tusculum University
College of Southern Idaho
Del Mar College
Front Range Community College
Sussex County Community College
Community College of Baltimore County
Delaware Valley University

Sussex County Community College
West Virginia Northern Community College
Kishwaukee College
Tusculum University
Community College of Aurora
Bucks County Community College
Community College of Baltimore County
College of Southern Idaho
Allan Hancock College
Front Range Community College

Tusculum University 81%
Southwestern Assemblies of God University 86%
Delaware Valley University 95%
Central Methodist University 98%

Del Mar College 11 to 1
West Virginia Northern Community College 11 to 1
Community College of Aurora 13 to 1
Central Methodist University 13 to 1
Bucks County Community College 13 to 1
Delaware Valley University 13 to 1
Community College of Baltimore County 14 to 1
Anne Arundel Community College 16 to 1
Tusculum University 16 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 17 to 1

Allan Hancock College $1,104
Saddleback College $1,288
Navarro College $1,620
Del Mar College $2,130
Pima Community College $2,136
Tyler Junior College $2,208
College of Southern Nevada $3,383
West Virginia Northern Community College $3,600
Blinn College $3,600
Community College of Denver $3,754

Southwestern Assemblies of God University $8,280
Delaware Valley University $8,832
Tusculum University $13,050

Key Takeaways

The associate degree in English 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 English.

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

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About English Degrees

Students who earn an associate in English degree program will develop a wide range of valuable workplace skills including critical thinking, comparative analysis, and mastery of English language in both written and spoken word. The associate degree program can prepare students for a wide range of jobs in education, marketing, journalism, digital media development, and more.

The English degree program at the community college level typically requires the completion of 60 credit degrees. Most students can earn this associate of arts in about two years. Prospective students may be able to choose from both on-campus and online English degree programs.

Students earning the online English degree will take both general education courses and core courses in subjects like world literature, technical writing, and literary analysis. For those who hope to move on to a bachelor’s degree program after graduation, many schools also offer an associate transfer English degree, which makes for an easier transition into an accredited liberal arts degree program.

While most tend to connect an English degree path with becoming a writer or teacher, it should also be noted that pursuing an associate degree in English can be the first step toward a career in film, communications, or journalism.

Learn more about how to major in english.

How do we determine the best online english 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 English.

Best Online Associate in English Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with English Degree

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English Language And Literature

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Starting Salary*: $23,974
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $28,329
* denotes ‘annually’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	1.14%	$69,035
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.03%	$61,619
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	-4.17%	$45,885

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$42,191	$61,170	$92,879

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 New York	5% higher than average	$80,873
#3 Oregon	11% higher than average	$85,325
#4 Utah	4% higher than average	$69,470
#5 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$84,385
#6 Vermont	13% higher than average	$79,130
#7 Michigan	15% higher than average	$59,450
#8 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$64,490
#9 Texas	10% higher than average	$62,117
#10 Alabama	13% higher than average	$59,465
#11 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$81,540
#12 California	26% higher than average	$85,653
#13 Idaho	7% higher than average	$62,005
#14 Ohio	14% higher than average	$57,510
#15 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$63,360
#16 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$60,685
#17 Delaware	2% higher than average	$67,540
#18 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$56,315
#19 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$74,100
#20 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$62,393
#21 Arizona	5% higher than average	$61,210
#22 Illinois	7% higher than average	$59,783
#23 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$62,480
#24 Maine	9% higher than average	$69,035
#25 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$56,825
#26 Washington	7% higher than average	$66,897
#27 Nevada	5% higher than average	$64,030
#28 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$54,195
#29 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$50,030
#30 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$56,670
#31 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$51,990
#32 Georgia	13% higher than average	$52,533
#33 Virginia	5% higher than average	$57,183
#34 Indiana	11% higher than average	$53,137
#35 Alaska	23% higher than average	$72,955
#36 Missouri	16% higher than average	$49,097
#37 Iowa	9% higher than average	$52,927
#38 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$53,770
#39 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$50,993
#40 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$53,443
#41 Maryland	18% higher than average	$67,070
#42 Montana	3% higher than average	$54,495
#43 Kansas	9% higher than average	$51,193
#44 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$46,953
#45 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$68,703
#46 Florida	6% higher than average	$52,020
#47 North Dakota	average	$54,870
#48 Colorado	3% higher than average	$55,557
#49 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$57,757
#50 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$44,457
#51 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$74,220
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$49,735

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$69,035
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$61,619
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	$45,885

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.

Did you know that an associate degree in English can be a good stepping stone into a career in linguistics. Find out what you can do with a linguistics degree.

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.

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Best Online Associate in English

Top 10 Online English Associate Degrees

Key Takeaways

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About English Degrees

Why get an associate in English?

How long does it take to get an associate in English?

What will I be learning while getting an associate in English?

What can I do with an associate in English?

Best Online Associate in English Degree Programs

Career Outlook for English degree at Sacramento City College

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Northern Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Brookdale Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Saddleback College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Anne Arundel Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Navarro College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Pima Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Bucks County Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Tyler Junior College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at College of Southern Nevada

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Community College of Aurora

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Community College of Denver

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Allan Hancock College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Community College of Baltimore County

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Sussex County Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Front Range Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Del Mar College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at College of Southern Idaho

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Blinn College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Kishwaukee College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at West Virginia Northern Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with English Degree

English Language And Literature

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