How long does it take to get an online associate degree in human resources?–

A human resources degree online typically takes two years to complete, and around 60 credits. If you’re wondering how to pay for college, we have a number of financial aid resources available, including: 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 courses are needed for online associate degrees in human resources programs?–

Courses will cover topics such as: microeconomics macroeconomics accounting foundations professional ethics staffing training strategies diversity training business ethics

Best Online Associate in Human Resources

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN HUMAN RESOURCES

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Jul 2, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online associate in human resources degree programs to prepare students to work in entry-level positions, including payroll clerks and assistant recruiters.

Top 10 Online Associate in Human Resources

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Davenport University
Lone Star College System
Concordia University Wisconsin
Guilford Technical Community College
Colorado Christian University
Harper College
Central Carolina Community College
Anne Arundel Community College
Montana State University Billings

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Anne Arundel Community College
Lone Star College System
Concordia University Wisconsin
Montana State University Billings
Davenport University
Colorado Christian University
Coastline Community College
Harper College
Wake Technical Community College

Davenport University 99%
Concordia University Wisconsin 70%

Coastline Community College 30 to 1
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College 23 to 1
Lone Star College System 21 to 1
Bluegrass Community and Technical College 18 to 1
Central Virginia Community College 18 to 1
Wake Technical Community College 18 to 1
Harper College 18 to 1
Henderson Community College 17 to 1
Guilford Technical Community College 17 to 1
Somerset Community College 17 to 1

Concordia University Wisconsin $33,062
Davenport University $22,244
Colorado Christian University $17,476
Harper College $9,372
Amridge University $9,000
Prairie State College $8,610
Anne Arundel Community College $7,920
University of Alaska Fairbanks $7,659
Herkimer County Community College $5,776
Holyoke Community College $5,280

Davenport University $17,262
Colorado Christian University $13,931
Concordia University Wisconsin $12,042
University of Alaska Fairbanks $11,535
Amridge University $10,800
Montana State University Billings $6,172

Western Iowa Tech Community College
Central Virginia Community College
Somerset Community College
Gaston College
Amridge University
Holyoke Community College
Henderson Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Herkimer County Community College

Western Iowa Tech Community College
Somerset Community College
Central Virginia Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Holyoke Community College
Central Carolina Community College
Henderson Community College
Herkimer County Community College
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Concordia University Wisconsin 70%
Davenport University 99%

Prairie State College 10 to 1
University of Alaska Fairbanks 11 to 1
Concordia University Wisconsin 11 to 1
Central Carolina Community College 12 to 1
Amridge University 12 to 1
Holyoke Community College 13 to 1
Gaston College 13 to 1
Western Iowa Tech Community College 13 to 1
Georgia Piedmont Technical College 14 to 1
Montana State University Billings 15 to 1

Coastline Community College $1,104
Guilford Technical Community College $2,128
Georgia Piedmont Technical College $2,400
Fayetteville Technical Community College $2,432
Wake Technical Community College $2,432
Gaston College $2,432
Central Carolina Community College $2,432
Western Iowa Tech Community College $4,032
Bluegrass Community and Technical College $4,368
Henderson Community College $4,368

Montana State University Billings $6,172
Amridge University $10,800
University of Alaska Fairbanks $11,535
Concordia University Wisconsin $12,042
Colorado Christian University $13,931
Davenport University $17,262

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Human Resources Degrees

If you enjoy working with people and have good communication skills, earning an associate in human resources degree online can help you take the first step in a fulfilling career.

The job outlook for a human resources manager is strong, and the median annual wage for human resources managers was $126,230.

A human resources degree online typically takes two years to complete, and around 60 credits.

If you’re wondering how to pay for college, we have a number of financial aid resources available, including:

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.

Courses will cover topics such as:

microeconomics
macroeconomics
accounting foundations
professional ethics
staffing
training strategies
diversity training
business ethics

Graduates with an online associate degree can work in entry level jobs, including payroll clerks, employee benefits assistant, and assistant recruiters, among others.

Many graduates who work in a human resources department choose to continue their education and earn an online bachelor’s degree, or even a master’s degree, qualifying for leadership roles in human resources.

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.

Learn more about how to major in business.

How do we determine the best online human resources 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 Degrees in Human Resources Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Human Resources Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $5,419
Avg. Expenses*: $14,812
Avg. Starting Salary*: $40,337
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $41,844
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 7.10%
Number of Jobs: 2,407,500
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Compensation and Benefits Managers	2.09%	$136,380
Human Resources Managers	6.51%	$136,350
Law Teachers, Postsecondary	2.11%	$127,360
Training and Development Managers	7.41%	$125,040
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	6.67%	$97,130
Labor Relations Specialists	-0.30%	$89,980
Compliance Officers	5.42%	$75,670
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	7.04%	$74,530
Human Resources Specialists	7.95%	$67,650
Training and Development Specialists	11.54%	$64,340

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Compensation and Benefits Managers	$136,380
Human Resources Managers	$136,350
Law Teachers, Postsecondary	$127,360
Training and Development Managers	$125,040
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$97,130
Labor Relations Specialists	$89,980
Compliance Officers	$75,670
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	$74,530
Human Resources Specialists	$67,650
Training and Development Specialists	$64,340

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 Business Schools 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.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Associate in Human Resources

Top 10 Online Associate in Human Resources

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Human Resources Degrees

Why get an online associate degree in human resources?

How long does it take to get an online associate degree in human resources?

What courses are needed for online associate degrees in human resources programs?

What can you do with an online associate degree in human resources?

Best Online Associate Degrees in Human Resources Programs

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at University of Alaska Fairbanks

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Lone Star College System

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Guilford Technical Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Harper College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Central Carolina Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Anne Arundel Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Montana State University Billings

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Wake Technical Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Prairie State College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Coastline Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Herkimer County Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Georgia Piedmont Technical College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Fayetteville Technical Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Henderson Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Holyoke Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Gaston College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Somerset Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Central Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Human Resources degree at Western Iowa Tech Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with Human Resources Degree

Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

Top Industries

Online Business Schools 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?+