Best Online Associate in Information Technology

Badge for BEST ONLINE ASSOCIATE'S IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

By Dr. Winston Ewert and Dr. James Barham

Updated: Feb 8, 2024

Find top-ranked online associate in information technology degree programs prepare students to begin in entry-level positions like computer support specialists, database administrators, and help desk specialists, or move on to relevant undergraduate degree programs.

Top 10 Online Information Technology Associate Degrees

University of Cincinnati
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Southern New Hampshire University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Keiser University
Thomas Jefferson University
Campbell University
City College of San Francisco
Purdue University Global
Saint Leo University

University of Cincinnati
Thomas Jefferson University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Campbell University
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Southern New Hampshire University
City College of San Francisco
Saint Leo University
St. Petersburg College
Keiser University

Southern New Hampshire University 100%
University of the Cumberlands 99%
Keiser University 97%
Campbell University 87%
University of Cincinnati 85%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 83%
Thomas Jefferson University 81%
Saint Leo University 78%

Coastline Community College 32 to 1
Northern Virginia Community College 30 to 1
Purdue University Global 25 to 1
St. Petersburg College 25 to 1
Florida State College at Jacksonville 24 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 24 to 1
City College of San Francisco 23 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 21 to 1
Saint Leo University 20 to 1
University of Cincinnati 19 to 1

Thomas Jefferson University $49,450
Campbell University $42,830
Colorado Christian University $42,758
Saint Leo University $30,750
Keiser University $26,016
Southern New Hampshire University $18,410
University of Massachusetts Lowell $17,664
University of Cincinnati $14,394
Purdue University Global $10,095
University of the Cumberlands $9,875

Keiser University $33,390
Thomas Jefferson University $23,202
Southern New Hampshire University $19,467
Saint Leo University $15,840
Colorado Christian University $15,509
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,330
Campbell University $14,996
University of Cincinnati $13,224
University of Alaska Fairbanks $11,459
Purdue University Global $9,547

Coastline Community College
Volunteer State Community College
Austin Community College District
College of Southern Nevada
Colorado Christian University
Henderson Community College
Johnston Community College
University of the Cumberlands
St. Petersburg College
Community College of Baltimore County

Isothermal Community College
Johnston Community College
Henderson Community College
Volunteer State Community College
Community College of Baltimore County
Coastline Community College
Colorado Christian University
Austin Community College District
Central Texas College
University of the Cumberlands

Saint Leo University 78%
Thomas Jefferson University 81%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 83%
University of Cincinnati 85%
Campbell University 87%
Keiser University 97%
University of the Cumberlands 99%
Southern New Hampshire University 100%

University of Alaska Fairbanks 12 to 1
Isothermal Community College 12 to 1
Johnston Community College 13 to 1
Campbell University 13 to 1
Thomas Jefferson University 13 to 1
Keiser University 14 to 1
Central Texas College 14 to 1
Colorado Christian University 15 to 1
Community College of Baltimore County 15 to 1
Jamestown Community College 16 to 1

Coastline Community College $1,186
City College of San Francisco $1,696
Isothermal Community College $2,050
Austin Community College District $2,550
St. Petersburg College $2,682
Johnston Community College $2,756
Florida State College at Jacksonville $2,878
Central Texas College $3,750
Community College of Baltimore County $4,536
College of Southern Nevada $4,575

University of the Cumberlands $4,260
Purdue University Global $9,547
University of Alaska Fairbanks $11,459
University of Cincinnati $13,224
Campbell University $14,996
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,330
Colorado Christian University $15,509
Saint Leo University $15,840
Southern New Hampshire University $19,467
Thomas Jefferson University $23,202

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Information Technology Degrees

An associate in information technology is a great degree for students who wish to apply their technical and problem-solving skills to a fast-growing industry.

Students typically complete this roughly 60-credit degree in about two years and have the option to take classes both online and on campus.

Core courses cover topics ranging from programming logic to web design to human computer interaction. Students will also explore the basics of computer networks and websites as well as how to maintain them.

Graduates can begin in entry-level positions like computer support specialists, database administrators, and help desk specialists, or move on to relevant undergraduate degree programs.

Learn more about how to major in computer science.

How do we determine the best online information technology 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 in Information Technology Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Information Technology Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Information Technology

Degree Level: Associate's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $4,128
Avg. Expenses*: $14,666
Avg. Starting Salary*: $38,002
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $45,983
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
Job Growth: 19.67%
Number of Jobs: 1,976,600
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Computer and Information Systems Managers	17.42%	$169,510
Computer and Information Research Scientists	25.68%	$145,080
Database Architects	10.75%	$134,700
Software Developers	17.94%	$132,270
Computer Network Architects	13.44%	$129,840
Information Security Analysts	32.71%	$120,360
Data Scientists	36.03%	$108,020
Computer Occupations, All Other	10.85%	$104,920
Computer Systems Analysts	10.72%	$103,800
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	11.80%	$101,800

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Computer and Information Systems Managers	$169,510
Computer and Information Research Scientists	$145,080
Database Architects	$134,700
Software Developers	$132,270
Computer Network Architects	$129,840
Information Security Analysts	$120,360
Data Scientists	$108,020
Computer Occupations, All Other	$104,920
Computer Systems Analysts	$103,800
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$101,800

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.

Not sure if an online associate’s degree in information technology is for you? Check out our rankings of the best online associate’s degrees in physics, computer science, or software development.

Online IT 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 Information Technology

Top 10 Online Information Technology Associate Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Information Technology Degrees

Why get an associate in information technology?

How long does it take to get an associate in information technology?

When getting an associate in information technology what will I learn?

What can I do with an associate in information technology?

Best Online Associate in Information Technology Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at University of Cincinnati

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at University of Massachusetts Lowell

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at University of Alaska Fairbanks

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Keiser University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Thomas Jefferson University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Campbell University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at City College of San Francisco

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Purdue Global

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Saint Leo University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Isothermal Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Northern Virginia Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Florida State College at Jacksonville

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Central Texas College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Jamestown Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Community College of Baltimore County

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at St. Petersburg College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at University of the Cumberlands

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Johnston Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Henderson Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Colorado Christian University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at College of Southern Nevada

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Austin Community College District

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Volunteer State Community College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Information Technology degree at Coastline Community College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with Information Technology Degree

Information Technology

Degree Level: Associate's

Career Salaries

Top Industries

Online IT 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?+