Best Online Associate in Health Science Degree Programs

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN HEALTH SCIENCE

Published: Jul 2, 2021
Updated: Jan 12, 2024

We help you find top-ranked online associate degree in health science programs that prepare students for various professional options in the healthcare field.

Top 10 Online Associate in Health Sciences Degrees

University of the Incarnate Word
Southwest Baptist University
Excelsior University
Saddleback College
Albany State University
Union College
Northern Virginia Community College
St. Petersburg College
Purdue University Global
Seminole State College of Florida

University of the Incarnate Word
St. Petersburg College
Purdue University Global
Albany State University
Northern Virginia Community College
Saddleback College
Southwest Baptist University
Seminole State College of Florida
College of Southern Idaho
Hudson County Community College

Southwest Baptist University 100%
University of the Incarnate Word 94%
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles 76%

Northern Virginia Community College 28 to 1
Purdue University Global 26 to 1
Seminole State College of Florida 26 to 1
Saddleback College 24 to 1
Excelsior University 23 to 1
Union College 22 to 1
St. Petersburg College 22 to 1
College of Southern Idaho 22 to 1
Brightpoint Community College 22 to 1
Hudson County Community College 22 to 1

Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles $46,740
University of the Incarnate Word $34,400
Southwest Baptist University $27,038
Union College $10,562
Purdue University Global $10,080
Hudson County Community College $7,152
Northern Virginia Community College $5,412
Virginia Peninsula Community College $4,680
Brightpoint Community College $4,650
College of Southern Idaho $4,560

University of the Incarnate Word $18,900
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles $13,296
Purdue University Global $9,472
Southwest Baptist University $5,136
Albany State University $3,438

Nash Community College
Casper College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Sheridan College
Hudson County Community College
Rowan College at Burlington County
College of Southern Idaho
Brightpoint Community College
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles
Seminole State College of Florida

Union College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Nash Community College
Sheridan College
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles
Excelsior University
Brightpoint Community College
Rowan College at Burlington County
Casper College
Hudson County Community College

Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles 76%
University of the Incarnate Word 94%
Southwest Baptist University 100%

Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles 11 to 1
Southwest Baptist University 11 to 1
University of the Incarnate Word 13 to 1
Casper College 14 to 1
Sheridan College 17 to 1
Rowan College at Burlington County 18 to 1
Albany State University 20 to 1
Nash Community College 20 to 1
Virginia Peninsula Community College 21 to 1
Union College 22 to 1

Saddleback College $1,288
St. Petersburg College $1,943
Seminole State College of Florida $2,393
Casper College $2,520
Nash Community College $2,600
Sheridan College $3,150
Rowan College at Burlington County $3,816
Albany State University $4,064
College of Southern Idaho $4,560
Brightpoint Community College $4,650

Albany State University $3,438
Southwest Baptist University $5,136
Purdue University Global $9,472
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles $13,296
University of the Incarnate Word $18,900

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Sciences Degree Programs

An online associate in health science is a great option if you’re looking to explore professional options in the healthcare field.

If you already have a high school diploma, an associate degree is a great next step to a rewarding career for healthcare professionals.

According to the BLS, earning an associate degree can increase your salary by more than $8000 over someone with a high school diploma alone.

And, if you want to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree can be a first step towards earning that next degree. In fact, an online associate in health science degree can be a stepping stone into a career in public health. Find out what you can do with a public health degree.

Besides general education courses, health sciences degree programs prepare students in areas of health science such as athletic training, pre-nursing, healthcare delivery systems, health information technology, and medical administrative assistance.

When finding an online associate degree program in health sciences, make sure the program is regionally accredited. This type of accreditation helps you to feel confident that the school, and your degree, have academic credibility.

And choosing a school that is regionally accredited is the only way that online students can qualify for federal financial aid programs.

Find out more about why you should only consider schools that are regionally accredited.

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.

You may also want to consider whether the degree program is accredited by a health-focused accrediting body like the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

While regional accreditation is usually a great indicator that a program is top-notch, additional accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs can give those in online health science programs extra reassurance.

Both online and on-campus programs are available, and the 60-credit health science program can be earned in as little as 18 months, by taking general education courses and courses specific to health science.

Though many choose to carry their associate degree into their bachelor’s program, healthcare professionals with an associate degree can enter the field as medical services technicians, medical registrars, medical assistants, sonographers, radiation therapists, and pharmacy technicians.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an associate in a health sciences degree program can prepare students for in-demand careers with above-average salaries.

Learn more about how to major in medicine.

How do we determine the best online health science 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 Health Science Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Health Science Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Health And Wellness

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $7,590
Avg. Expenses*: $14,531
Avg. Starting Salary*: $33,576
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $43,444
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 10.04%
Number of Jobs: 125,500
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Health Education Specialists	6.92%	$62,860
Community Health Workers	13.09%	$48,200

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Health Education Specialists	$62,860
Community Health Workers	$48,200

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 Health Science Programs Looking 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.

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 Health Science Degree Programs

Top 10 Online Associate in Health Sciences Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Sciences Degree Programs

Why get an online associate degree in health science?

What areas of health science do courses cover?

How long does it take to get an online associate degree in health science?

What can I do with an online associate degree in health science?

Best Online Associate Degree in Health Science Programs

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of the Incarnate Word

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Southwest Baptist University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Saddleback College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Albany State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Union College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Northern Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at St. Petersburg College

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Seminole State College of Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Brightpoint Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at College of Southern Idaho

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Rowan College at Burlington County

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Hudson County Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Sheridan College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Virginia Peninsula Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Casper College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Nash Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Students with Health Science Degree

Health And Wellness

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

Top Industries

Online Health Science Programs Looking for You

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