Best Online Associate in General Studies

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN GENERAL STUDIES

Published: Jul 1, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online associate degrees in general studies programs to prepare you for a number of entry-level jobs ranging including customer service, retail management, research assistance, and more.

Key Takeaways

An associate degree can greatly increase your salary over someone who has a high school diploma alone.
Many students go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.
The versatile general studies degree prepares graduates for entry-level jobs such as customer service, retail management, research assistance, and more.

Top 10 Online Associate Degrees in General Studies

Pace University
Providence College
Arkansas State University
Northern Michigan University
Golden Gate University
Andrews University
Anne Arundel Community College
Hampton University
Eastern Kentucky University
Regent University

Pace University
Hampton University
Andrews University
Providence College
Anne Arundel Community College
Arkansas State University
Golden Gate University
Eastern Kentucky University
Murray State University
Regent University

New England College 100%
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania 96%
Arkansas Tech University 94%
University of the Incarnate Word 94%
Franklin Pierce University 93%
Millersville University of Pennsylvania 92%
Andrews University 91%
Northwest Nazarene University 88%
Murray State University 84%
Pace University 83%

Northern Virginia Community College 28 to 1
Regent University 21 to 1
Columbia College 20 to 1
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania 20 to 1
Millersville University of Pennsylvania 18 to 1
Arkansas Tech University 18 to 1
Northern Michigan University 18 to 1
Anne Arundel Community College 16 to 1
Montgomery College 16 to 1
Murray State University 16 to 1

Providence College $57,928
Pace University $50,026
Franklin Pierce University $43,155
New England College $41,518
Albertus Magnus College $37,682
Northwest Nazarene University $36,298
University of the Incarnate Word $34,400
King University $33,784
Andrews University $32,734
Hampton University $29,162

Franklin Pierce University $37,200
Andrews University $26,580
Pace University $25,560
Albertus Magnus College $22,176
Golden Gate University $19,620
University of the Incarnate Word $18,900
Regent University $16,028
King University $14,181
New England College $13,678
Hampton University $13,099

Albertus Magnus College
King University
Wilmington University
Northern Virginia Community College
San Diego Christian College
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Northwest Nazarene University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Arkansas Tech University
Columbia College

San Diego Christian College
Northwest Nazarene University
Columbia College
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Albertus Magnus College
Arkansas Tech University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Montgomery College
Northern Virginia Community College
Wilmington University

Regent University 32%
Providence College 53%
King University 61%
Eastern Kentucky University 64%
Arkansas State University 70%
Northern Michigan University 71%
Hampton University 74%
Albertus Magnus College 80%
Pace University 83%
Murray State University 84%

New England College 7 to 1
Andrews University 10 to 1
San Diego Christian College 11 to 1
King University 11 to 1
Providence College 11 to 1
Wilmington University 12 to 1
Franklin Pierce University 12 to 1
Hampton University 13 to 1
Golden Gate University 13 to 1
University of the Incarnate Word 13 to 1

Northern Virginia Community College $5,412
Arkansas Tech University $5,820
Arkansas State University $6,888
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania $7,716
Anne Arundel Community College $7,920
Montgomery College $8,070
Murray State University $8,196
Eastern Kentucky University $9,544
Millersville University of Pennsylvania $9,570
Golden Gate University $11,088

Arkansas Tech University $5,481
Arkansas State University $6,282
San Diego Christian College $7,440
Columbia College $8,826
Murray State University $9,144
Wilmington University $9,216
Millersville University of Pennsylvania $9,288
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania $9,288
Eastern Kentucky University $10,008
Northern Michigan University $10,176

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About General Studies Degrees

Why get an associate degree?

Associate degrees are a great alternative to a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree. An associate degree can be earned in half the time and can help to advance your career and boost your earning potential.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), earning an associate degree can increase your salary by more than $8000 over someone who has a high school diploma alone.

And the cost of an associate degree is around $3500 per year, while the average tuition for a bachelor’s degree at a public college or university sits at around $9000 per year.

However, if you want to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree can also be a great stepping stone towards earning that next degree.

In fact, many community colleges have transfer agreements with nearby public and state colleges that make the prospect of continuing on towards higher education as painless as possible.

Even better, many regionally accredited colleges now offer degree programs online, ensuring that students receive a high quality education with the convenience of an online program.

Why get an online associate degree in general studies?

Online students earning an associate degree in general studies can help students explore a variety of disciplines and career paths while also working toward a versatile degree.

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

In about two years, students earning associate degrees in general studies can complete the required 60 credits either online or in person.

If you have your high school diploma and are wondering how to pay for college, check out our handy Guide to Financial Aid in Higher Education.

In fact, we have a number of financial aid resources available to help you navigate towards earning your associate degree:

A step-by-step guide to applying for financial aid
A guide to applying for federal grants, which offer the highest level of financial aid to students with the biggest need
A look at work study programs, which are a unique supplement to federal financial aid.

What kind of courses are required to get an associate degree in general studies?

During their studies, online students will take courses in math, computer science, fine arts, social science, and humanities. Many programs will also require you to earn credits through elective courses in areas like marketing, business, criminal justice, and education, all to the end of gaining a well-rounded educational experience.

What can I do with an associate degree in general studies?

Graduates of general studies degree programs will be prepared for a number of entry-level jobs ranging including customer service, retail management, research assistance, and more. Associate degrees in general studies are also a great starting point for those who will go on to pursue a four-year undergraduate degree in a wide variety of disciplines.

How do we determine the best online general studies 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.

Best Online Associate Degree in General Studies Programs

Career Outlook for Students with General Studies Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Digital Communication And Media/Multimedia

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $5,400
Avg. Expenses*: $15,117
Avg. Starting Salary*: $23,767
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $33,747
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 7 years
Job Growth: 5.92%
Number of Jobs: 1,473,100
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	5.75%	$133,560
Web and Digital Interface Designers	7.93%	$98,540
Producers and Directors	8.10%	$82,510
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary	3.43%	$79,910
Film and Video Editors	4.66%	$66,600
Media and Communication Workers, All Other	7.78%	$61,900
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	-2.81%	$57,500
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	-4.15%	$44,890

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	$133,560
Web and Digital Interface Designers	$98,540
Producers and Directors	$82,510
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary	$79,910
Film and Video Editors	$66,600
Media and Communication Workers, All Other	$61,900
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	$57,500
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	$44,890

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 General Studies

Key Takeaways

Top 10 Online Associate Degrees in General Studies

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About General Studies Degrees

Why get an associate degree?

Why get an online associate degree in general studies?

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

What kind of courses are required to get an associate degree in general studies?

What can I do with an associate degree in general studies?

Best Online Associate Degree in General Studies Programs

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Pace University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Providence College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Arkansas State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Northern Michigan University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Golden Gate University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Andrews University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Anne Arundel Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Hampton University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Eastern Kentucky University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Regent University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Franklin Pierce University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Montgomery College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at New England College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Murray State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at University of the Incarnate Word

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Columbia College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Arkansas Tech University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Northwest Nazarene University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at San Diego Christian College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Northern Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Wilmington University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at King University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for General Studies degree at Albertus Magnus College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with General Studies Degree

Digital Communication And Media/Multimedia

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

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