by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 153 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Education Associate Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 17,890 associate degrees in education to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of education for getting your associate degree school matters. Important measures of a quality education program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for education students working on their associate degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Education Associate Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in education. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat University of Delaware if you want to pursue an associate degree in education. Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in education from University of Delaware
It's difficult to beat University of Cincinnati - Main Campus if you want to pursue an associate degree in education. Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
It is hard to beat Gateway Technical College if you want to pursue an associate degree in education. Gateway Technical College is a large public college located in the city of Kenosha.More information about a associate in education from Gateway Technical College
Western Technical College is a wonderful option for students pursuing an associate degree in education. Western Technical College is a small public college located in the small city of La Crosse.More information about a associate in education from Western Technical College
Located in the small city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in education from Rasmussen University - Florida
Houston Community College is a very large public college located in the large city of Houston.More information about a associate in education from Houston Community College
Located in the large city of Washington, University of the District of Columbia is a public university with a small student population.More information about a associate in education from University of the District of Columbia
IWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Marion.More information about a associate in education from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg.More information about a associate in education from Liberty University
Located in the city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in education from South Texas College
Located in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in education from Collin County Community College District
Located in the city of Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in education from Community College of Philadelphia
Located in the city of Green Bay, NWTC is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in education from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Western New Mexico University is a small public university located in the remote town of Silver City.More information about a associate in education from Western New Mexico University
Located in the suburb of Kirkland, LWTech is a public school with a small student population.More information about a associate in education from Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Located in the large city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in education from Tarrant County College District
Located in the small city of Dover, Delaware Tech is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in education from Delaware Technical Community College - Terry
Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public college located in the city of Indianapolis.More information about a associate in education from Ivy Tech Community College
Located in the city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in education from Rasmussen University - Minnesota
Located in the medium-sized city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in education from Rasmussen University - Illinois
BCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the large city of Bronx.More information about a associate in education from Bronx Community College
Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Medgar is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in education from Medgar Evers College
Located in the city of San Diego, UAGC is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in education from The University of Arizona Global Campus
Middlesex County College is a large public college located in the suburb of Edison.More information about a associate in education from Middlesex County College
Essex is a medium-sized public college located in the large city of Newark.More information about a associate in education from Essex County College
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Education Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth, FL |
| 32 | San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena, TX |
| 33 | El Centro College | Dallas, TX |
| 34 | Leeward Community College | Pearl City, HI |
| 35 | Campbell University | Buies Creek, NC |
| 36 | Brenau University | Gainesville, GA |
| 37 | Cumberland University | Lebanon, TN |
| 38 | Austin Community College District | Austin, TX |
| 39 | Northern Wyoming Community College District | Sheridan, WY |
| 40 | San Juan College | Farmington, NM |
| 41 | Madison Area Technical College | Madison, WI |
| 42 | Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg, PA |
| 43 | Texas State Technical College | Waco, TX |
| 44 | Quinsigamond Community College | Worcester, MA |
| 45 | Delaware County Community College | Media, PA |
| 46 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR |
| 47 | Durham Technical Community College | Durham, NC |
| 48 | Hostos Community College | Bronx, NY |
| 49 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX |
| 50 | South Georgia Technical College | Americus, GA |
| 51 | Raritan Valley Community College | Branchburg, NJ |
View the Best Education Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 12,497 |
| General Education | 1,987 |
| Special Education | 1,326 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 1,083 |
| Teaching Assistants | 820 |
| Instructional Media Design | 99 |
| Educational Administration | 53 |
| Teaching English or French | 11 |
| Other Education | 8 |
| Student Counseling | 4 |
