Unlocking Your Potential: Exploring the World of 2-Year College Degrees

An associate degree is a 2-year undergraduate degree that provides technical and academic knowledge. Associate’s degrees are 2-year degrees, often completed at a community college. They’re just one option you have for higher education after high school. Earning an associate degree can be a great way to prepare yourself for your future. It is an education level beyond a high school diploma but not yet to the level of a bachelor’s degree.

What is an Associate Degree?

An associate degree is typically 60 credits, translating to 20 classes. Most associate degree programs are designed to take about two years of full-time study. If you attend full time and take 15 credits on average per semester, you should graduate with an associate’s degree in 2 years. These programs typically require 60 credits - or around 20 total classes.

Where Can You Earn One?

Students can usually earn an associate’s degree by attending a community college, a technical or vocational school, or some four-year colleges.

What Courses Will You Take?

General education courses cover everything from math to English. They help you develop a solid foundation of knowledge. Career-related classes focus on the student’s desired field. For example, if you want to become a dental hygienist, you’d take courses on dental anatomy, patient care, and oral health education. Classes focus on general education, major-related courses, and electives.

Types of Associate Degrees

There are three main types of associate degrees. The associate degree type can impact your career and education options after graduation. There are two main types of associate degrees: Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Arts (AA).

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Associate of Arts (AA)

Associate of Arts (AA) programs are broad, focusing on social sciences, business, literature, arts, and other general education subjects. An AS degree can prepare you for jobs available across many industries, including marketing, information technology and accounting.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) programs cover technical and vocational skills required for a specific career field. An associate of applied science degree (AAS) can be one of the quickest paths to a stable, well-paying career in a number of fields. An Associate of Applied Science degree prepares you to immediately enter the workforce in some kind of technical role. In this way, the AAS can be considered a terminal degree. It’s the highest expected degree to enter and be successful in a given career path as it incorporates the hands-on technical skills needed in the field. Students spend the majority of their coursework in technical courses directly related to their chosen area of study. Relevant AAS degrees can help aspiring professionals pursue career paths as diverse as dental hygienist, web developer or chemical technician.

Associate of Science (AS)

An Associate of Science degree, or AS degree, is different. Typically, this degree is preparatory and offered with the intent of transferring into a four-year program.

Benefits of Earning an Associate Degree

There are plenty of benefits to earning your associate’s degree! There are great benefits and opportunities that come with starting with an associate degree.

Affordability

It’s usually more affordable than a 4-year college. Because of the shorter timeframe and lesser credit requirements, it's often more affordable than bachelor’s degree programs. During the 2023-24 academic year, tuition and fees at a public 2-year institution cost between $4,072 and $8,901, on average. The exact price depends on several factors, including the type of school, your residency, and whether you’re living on campus, with family, or off-campus but not with your family.

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Even though associate’s degrees are much less expensive than bachelor’s programs, they can still be out of reach financially for many.

Complete the FAFSA.
Apply for state grants. Many states have college grants for 2-year students. In fact, a majority even have discounted or free community college programs for their residents.
Apply for scholarships. There are thousands of scholarships that help students pay for their higher education.
Take out private loans. Private student loans can help you bridge the gap between your financial aid offers and the total cost of attendance (COA). However, private loans tend to have much higher interest rates and fewer repayment options than federal loans.

Career Opportunities

You open the doors to some career opportunities. Many careers require at least an associate’s degree, such as a dental hygienist or a veterinary technician. Many jobs require you to have at least an associate’s degree. An associate can also prepare you for entry-level jobs.

Earning Potential

You can earn more money. In 2024, those with associate’s degrees earned $1,099 weekly on average. By comparison, employees with some college but no degree earned $1,020/week.

Exploration

If you’re not quite sure what to study, attending community college is a solid option. You can explore more subjects. It can also give you time to determine what you might want to major in, or which career path you'd like to take while still earning college credits.

Time Commitment

It only takes two years. An associate’s degree takes half the time of a bachelor’s if you’re attending full time.

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Flexibility

Admission is often more flexible, so it’s easier to get started. “An associate degree provided me the flexibility and a chance to get a broad, yet succinct educational background to jumpstart my career,” said Thomas.

Associate Degree vs. Bachelor's Degree

Associate or bachelor’s? If you’re stuck between choosing a two-year or four-year college path, you’re not alone. Associate degrees typically take about two years to complete. They’re offered at community colleges or technical schools and are usually more affordable. Bachelor’s degrees, on the other hand, take about four years and are usually offered at colleges and universities. Bachelor’s degree programs provide in-depth knowledge and skills across a wide variety of potential career paths to help you stand out in today’s competitive job market. "A bachelor's degree is a 4-year undergraduate degree and is the second level degree that can be obtained," Talbot said.

However, many employers prefer a bachelor's degree to an associate. “A bachelor’s degree can provide a greater depth of knowledge in a field, alongside general education courses that teach students transferable skills,” said Grace Dugan, a military career advisor at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) with over a decade of experience working in student services.

Advancing Your Education

You can pursue your bachelor’s after you’ve earned an associate’s, too. The good news? You don’t have to choose one forever. Still figuring things out? You can start small, learn what you like, and build from there. It's your journey, and an associate degree could be your smartest first step. Luckily, there are many options in today’s higher education world that make moving from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree easier. For example, many associate degree credits transfer directly to a bachelor’s degree program, fast-tracking your ability to earn a four-year degree. The most basic difference between a bachelor’s degree and an associate degree is the time it takes to complete the programs. Many 4-year schools accept community college credits, but should understand how your classes will transfer before you enroll. The 4-year school may not transfer all of your credits 1:1, which means you’d have to retake some courses.

Is an Associate of Applied Science Degree Right for You?

If your end goal is to enter a career path for which an AAS degree is expected then, yes, an AAS degree is likely right for you. That said, you might not want to stop there. AAS classes can teach you the technical skills necessary to become a web developer or bookkeeper. But they won’t teach you how to launch your own business in those fields, nor will they focus on improving your marketing, communication or other vital professional and interpersonal skills. In this way, the AAS will help you enter your chosen career field with technical expertise as you determine when and how you may want to further your educate to advance your career.

A Global Perspective on Associate Degrees

The concept of the associate degree extends beyond the borders of the United States.

Caribbean: Two year associate degrees are found throughout the West Indies. They are offered by regional organisations such as the Caribbean Examinations Council and the University of the West Indies, and at institutions of higher education in particular, within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, and St.
Netherlands: In 2007 the associate degree was added to the Dutch system of higher education within the Higher Professional Education (HBO) stream taught at universities of applied sciences (hogeschool). Associate degree courses form part of HBO bachelor's degree courses, and advising requirements are the same for the two-year associate degree and the related four-year bachelor's degree.
Hong Kong: In Hong Kong, associate degrees were first introduced in 2000 with the aim of increasing the number of students with post-secondary qualifications. As originally introduced, the qualification took two or three years, but this was reformed in 2012 to a two-year course.
Pakistan: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has approved Associate Degree Programs (ADP) to replace the traditional two-year BA/BSc programs.
Argentina: In Argentina, tertiary colleges (institutos terciarios) offer carrera técnica, tecnicatura or Técnico Superior Universitario qualifications that are similar to associate degrees in a variety of areas, including qualifications for elementary and high school teachers, as well as other technical fields, upon completion of three or four years of study.
Brazil: In 2001, Brazil added tecnólogo ('technologist') as a form of undergraduate degree program (graduação). A technologist's degree varies between two and three years of full time studies to complete.
Canada: Aside from British Columbia, the Canadian provinces do not offer associate degrees but do offer similar higher education qualifications below the bachelor's level. These are two-year courses resulting in a diploma in a broad range of technical, professional and academic subjects.
Czech Republic: In Czech Republic one equivalent title is DiS. (Diplomovaný Specialista; Certificated Specialist). By Czech school education law, these programs last for three to three and a half years, but most often 3 years.
France: In 2021, the Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (DUT) was reframed as an intermediate degree, part of a three-year curriculum now referred to as BUT. Prior to the reform of 2006, universities awarded a two-year diploma called DEUG, the purpose of which was also to help the student pursue studies in a field that differed from what was initially intended.
United Kingdom: Associate degrees are not part of any of the national qualifications frameworks in the United Kingdom. Two-year sub-degree higher education qualifications that are considered short-cycle qualifications in the European Higher Education Area are foundation degrees, Diplomas of Higher Education and Higher National Diplomas (if awarded by a degree-awarding body).

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