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Key takeaway: An associate degree is an undergraduate degree that usually takes about 60 semester credits, roughly two years of full-time study. It comes in three main forms: the AA and AS, built to transfer into a bachelor's, and the AAS, built for direct entry into a field. In our directory, 634 accredited institutions that mainly award associate degrees report at least one program a student can complete entirely online (IPEDS IC 2024).
An associate degree sits between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges award most of them, though some four-year and career-focused schools offer them too. Earned online, the degree carries the same title and the same accreditation as the campus version at the same school. This page explains the degree types, how credits and transfer usually work, and how to read the school cards below.
These accredited institutions award the associate degree as their predominant credential and report at least one program completable entirely online (IPEDS IC 2024). Ranked by BOC Score within that group.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
The federal distance education flag describes the institution, not each program. A school on this list offers something fully online, but the specific associate program you want may be campus-only or hybrid. Confirm the program’s format with admissions before you apply.
Some schools also award an Associate of General Studies or an Associate of Applied Arts. If you think you may continue to a bachelor’s, the transfer-oriented AA or AS is usually the safer choice.
An associate degree is usually about 60 semester credits, or about 90 quarter credits, roughly 20 courses. A full-time schedule is usually designed to take about two years; part-time schedules often run three years or more. Individual timelines vary. Prior college credit, credit by exam, and credit for prior learning can reduce what remains, depending on each school’s policy.
Online formats vary by school:
Transfer is where the AA or AS usually pays off. Many states run articulation agreements under which a completed transfer associate degree from a public community college satisfies most lower-division general education at the state’s public universities. Policies differ by state and by school, and they rarely guarantee admission to a specific major.
Before you enroll, ask the four-year school you are aiming for three questions: which of your courses it accepts, whether it accepts them toward the major or only as electives, and whether a completed associate degree changes that answer. Get the evaluation in writing. If you already have credit, our guide to online degree completion programs covers the next step.
Each guide covers curriculum, career paths, and schools that report completions in that field.
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree that usually requires about 60 semester credits, roughly two years of full-time study. It is awarded mainly by community colleges, and comes as an AA or AS, designed to transfer into a bachelor’s, or an AAS, designed for entry into a specific field.
There is none. “Associate degree” is the formal name and “associate’s degree” is a common spelling of the same credential.
About two years of full-time study is typical for students starting with no college credit. Part-time students often take three years or more, and transfer credit can shorten the path.
Usually, especially an AA or AS from an accredited school. How many credits apply toward the major depends on the receiving school and any state articulation agreement, so request a written transfer evaluation before you enroll. AAS credits transfer less predictably.
At the same accredited school, the degree title and transcript are generally the same whichever way the courses are delivered. Check whether your program requires in-person labs or clinical hours.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024), distance education program flags (DISTPGS) and predominant credential level; directory counts as of the September 2026 data refresh.
