by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. The amount of financial aid you could receive at various schools, including some with high sticker prices, may surprise you.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 374 schools in the Southeast Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Associate Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $0-$30k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also 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 combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found North Carolina State University to be the best value (income $0-$30k) school for associate degrees in the Southeast Region in this year’s ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, North Carolina State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of North Carolina. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,784.
The quality degree programs at Southern Regional Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region. Thomasville, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Southern Regional Technical College has the honor of being ranked #12 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cleveland Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Cleveland Community College is a small public school situated in Shelby, North Carolina.
Not only is Cleveland Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in North Carolina for overall quality.
The quality degree programs at Florida State College at Jacksonville helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region. FSCJ is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida.
Florida State College at Jacksonville has the honor of being ranked #10 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $875.
Read full value report on Florida State College at Jacksonville
The quality degree programs at Central Georgia Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region. CGTC is located in Warner Robins, Georgia and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Central Georgia Technical College has the honor of being ranked #2 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,291.
With a ranking of #6, Coastal Pines Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Coastal Pines Technical College is a small public school located in Waycross, Georgia.
Not only is Coastal Pines Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in Georgia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $681.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida.
Not only is University of South Florida - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Florida for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $4,454.
Trident Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Trident Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in South Carolina for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $947.
Florida State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Florida State University is ranked #5 for quality in the state of Florida. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,438.
St Petersburg College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10. SPC is a large public school situated in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Not only is St Petersburg College a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in Florida for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $181.
West Georgia Technical College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. West Georgia Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in Waco, Georgia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, West Georgia Technical College is ranked #19 for quality in the state of Georgia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $836.
Durham Technical Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Durham Technical Community College is a small public school situated in Durham, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Durham Technical Community College is ranked #9 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $864.
Learn More About Value at Durham Technical Community College
Ogeechee Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, the school is a small public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Ogeechee Technical College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of Georgia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $3,893.
Hillsborough Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #14. HCC is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Hillsborough Community College is ranked #12 for quality in the state of Florida. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,848.
Florida International University did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Florida International University has the honor of being ranked #15 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,688.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
Northern Kentucky University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Kentucky for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $1,287.
Seminole State College of Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Sanford, Florida.
Not only is Seminole State College of Florida a great value, but it is also ranked #19 in Florida for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $1,774.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Rome, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Georgia Northwestern Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #10 in Georgia for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,573.
Learn More About Value at Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Wake Technical Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #19. Wake Technical Community College is a large public school located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Wake Technical Community College is ranked #3 for quality in the state of North Carolina. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,625.
Wallace Community College, Dothan ranked #20 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Dothan, Alabama, the school is a small public institution.
Wallace Community College, Dothan has the honor of being ranked #4 in Alabama for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,556.
With a ranking of #21, Atlanta Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Atlanta Area Tech is a small public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia.
Atlanta Technical College has the honor of being ranked #30 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value.
Savannah Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Savannah Tech is a small public school situated in Savannah, Georgia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Savannah Technical College is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Georgia. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,409.
Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Florida Atlantic University is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Florida. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $3,877.
American Public University System came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school located in Charles Town, West Virginia.
American Public University System has the honor of being ranked #1 in West Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,661.
Chattahoochee Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. Chattahoochee Technical College is a public institution located in Marietta, Georgia.
Not only is Chattahoochee Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #20 in Georgia for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,383.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value Associate Degree Schools (Income $0-$30k) Nationwide >
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Florence-Darlington Technical College | Florence, SC | Value Report |
| 52 | Chipola College | Marianna, FL | Value Report |
| 53 | NorthWest Arkansas Community College | Bentonville, AR | Value Report |
| 54 | Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem, NC | Value Report |
| 55 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC | Value Report |
| 56 | Itawamba Community College | Fulton, MS | Value Report |
| 57 | Patrick Henry Community College | Martinsville, VA | Value Report |
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These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Northwest-Shoals Community College | Muscle Shoals, AL | Value Report |
| 59 | South Florida State College | Avon Park, FL | Value Report |
| 60 | Aiken Technical College | Graniteville, SC | Value Report |
| 61 | Spartanburg Community College | Spartanburg, SC | Value Report |
| 62 | Savannah State University | Savannah, GA | Value Report |
| 63 | Wallace Community College, Selma | Selma, AL | Value Report |
| 64 | John C Calhoun State Community College | Tanner, AL | Value Report |
| 65 | John Tyler Community College | Chester, VA | Value Report |
| 66 | Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas | De Queen, AR | Value Report |
| 67 | Tri-County Technical College | Pendleton, SC | Value Report |
| 68 | Southwest Mississippi Community College | Summit, MS | Value Report |
| 69 | Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro, NC | Value Report |
| 70 | Wayne Community College | Goldsboro, NC | Value Report |
| 70 | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove, VA | Value Report |
| 72 | Bishop State Community College | Mobile, AL | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Northeast Alabama Community College | Rainsville, AL | Value Report |
| 74 | Holmes Community College | Goodman, MS | Value Report |
| 75 | Johnston Community College | Smithfield, NC | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.