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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

39 Ranked Colleges
4,271 Degrees Awarded
$6,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 36,145 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,313 and $29,229 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 4,271 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,605 and $16,886 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 39 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Education in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #1 spot on the list. South Texas College is located in McAllen, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 396 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.

South Texas College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,174 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Full South Texas College Education Report

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Austin Community College District landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $6,861 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Austin Community College District

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tarrant County College District. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 144 students in 2019-2020.

Tarrant County College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tarrant County College is $5,434 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Tarrant County College

#4

Central New Mexico Community College

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Central New Mexico Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. CNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 117 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

CNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CNM is $3,429 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Full Central New Mexico Community College Education Report

#5

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lone Star College System. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in The Woodlands, Texas, and it awarded 269 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

North Harris Montgomery did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Harris Montgomery is $8,016 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Full North Harris Montgomery Education Report

#6

El Paso Community College

El Paso, Texas
#15 in overall quality

El Paso Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school handed out 199 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

El Paso Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $4,594 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid per year to attend El Paso Community College.

Read more about Education at El Paso Community College

#7

Northern Oklahoma College

Tonkawa, Oklahoma
#8 in overall quality

Northern Oklahoma College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Oklahoma College is a public institution located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northern Oklahoma College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Oklahoma College is $7,474 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Northern Oklahoma College

#9

San Juan College

Farmington, New Mexico
#9 in overall quality

San Juan College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Farmington, New Mexico, this medium-sized public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

SJC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SJC is $6,115 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at SJC

#10

Pima Community College

Tucson, Arizona

Pima Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pima County Community College District is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Pima Community College is $3,583 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Pima Community College

#11

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas
#12 in overall quality

San Antonio College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 86 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

San Antonio College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,882 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid per year to attend San Antonio College.

Read full report on Education at San Antonio College

#12

Santa Fe Community College

Santa Fe, New Mexico
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Santa Fe Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it awarded 23 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

SFCC also made our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Santa Fe Community College is $7,020 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Full Santa Fe Community College Education Report

#13

Navarro College

Corsicana, Texas
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Navarro College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Navarro College is located in Corsicana, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.

Navarro College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,349 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Navarro College.

Read full report on Education at Navarro College

#14

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Amarillo College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Amarillo College is a medium-sized school located in Amarillo, Texas that handed out 44 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Amarillo College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,578 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid per year to attend Amarillo College.

Read full report on Education at Amarillo College

#15

Connors State College

Warner, Oklahoma
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Connors State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Connors State College is located in Warner, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,571 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Connors State College.

Full CSC Education Report

#18 in overall quality

Cochise County Community College District did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Cochise County Community College District is a public institution located in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cochise College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cochise County Community College District is $6,228 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Full Cochise College Education Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. OSU Institute of Technology is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 associates’s education degrees to qualified students.

OSU Institute of Technology also took the #17 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is $6,500 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

#18

Tulsa Community College

Tulsa, Oklahoma
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Tulsa Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 31 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree education students with aid list, Tulsa Community College has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tulsa Community College is $6,078 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Tulsa Community College

#19

Glendale Community College

Glendale, Arizona
#11 in overall quality

Glendale Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Glendale, Arizona, and it awarded 42 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Glendale Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Glendale Community College is $8,597 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Glendale Community College

#23 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Alamogordo ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Alamogordo, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Alamogordo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,693 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid per year to attend NMSU Alamogordo.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Education at NMSU Alamogordo

#14 in overall quality

San Jacinto Community College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jacinto College is a large school located in Pasadena, Texas that handed out 258 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jacinto College also took the #14 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jacinto College is $8,692 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Full San Jacinto College Education Report

With a ranking of #22, McLennan Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Waco, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McLennan Community College is $6,752 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at MCC

#23

Rio Salado College

Tempe, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Rio Salado College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s education degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Rio Salado College also took the #25 spot in our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rio Salado College is $9,320 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Rio Salado College

#24

Arizona Western College

Yuma, Arizona
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Arizona Western College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Yuma, Arizona, and it awarded 39 associates’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

AWC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Education Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend AWC is $10,165 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Education students with aid.

Full AWC Education Report

#25

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana

Las Cruces, New Mexico

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this medium-sized public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified associates’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Dona Ana is $5,539 for southwest region associate degree education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at New Mexico State University - Dona Ana

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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