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Our analysis found to be the best value (income $30-$48k) school for associate degrees in the United States in this year’s ranking.
by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision. 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 1,288 schools in the United States, 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 $30-$48k) ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $30-$48k 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 school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various 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 to be the best value (income $30-$48k) school for associate degrees in the United States in this year’s ranking.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Washington University in St Louis is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Missouri. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,928.
Out of the 1,288 associate degree schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Purdue University - Main Campus has the honor of being ranked #1 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,955.
Out of the 1,288 associate degree schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Lee College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lee College is located in Baytown, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Lee College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Texas for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $5,901.
The quality degree programs at Golden West College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k). Located in Huntington Beach, California, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Golden West College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,515.
South Texas College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking. South Texas College is a large public school situated in McAllen, Texas.
Not only is South Texas College a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Texas for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,439.
Southern Regional Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. Southwest Georgia Technical College is a public institution located in Thomasville, Georgia.
Not only is Southern Regional Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Georgia for overall quality.
Learn More About Value at Southern Regional Technical College
Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking. Eastern Gateway Community College is a large public school located in Steubenville, Ohio.
Not only is Eastern Gateway Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Ohio for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $1,669.
With a ranking of #9, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and has a large student population. It is a public school.
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. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $8,687.
West Valley College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized public school is located in Saratoga, California.
West Valley College has the honor of being ranked #21 in California for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,394.
With a ranking of #11, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Central New Mexico Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in New Mexico for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,378.
Read full value report on Central New Mexico Community College
Southwestern College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking. Chula Vista, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Southwestern College a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,452.
El Centro College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. El Centro College is a large public school situated in Dallas, Texas.
El Centro College has the honor of being ranked #7 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,845.
Central Georgia Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking, coming in at #14. CGTC is a medium-sized public school situated in Warner Robins, Georgia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Central Georgia Technical College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Georgia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,216.
With a ranking of #15, Moreno Valley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. This medium-sized public school is located in Moreno Valley, California.
Not only is Moreno Valley College a great value, but it is also ranked #32 in California for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,113.
With a ranking of #16, Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. FIT SUNY is a public institution located in New York, New York.
Fashion Institute of Technology has the honor of being ranked #4 in New York for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,133.
Ventura College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking. Ventura College is a fairly large public school situated in Ventura, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Ventura College is ranked #44 for quality in the state of California. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $282.
Pasadena City College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. Located in Pasadena, California, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Pasadena City College a great value, but it is also ranked #10 in California for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $3,697.
With a ranking of #19, Cleveland Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. This small public school is located in Shelby, North Carolina.
Cleveland Community College has the honor of being ranked #6 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $863.
Elgin Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. Located in Elgin, Illinois, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Not only is Elgin Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $2,652.
Montgomery College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking, coming in at #21. Montgomery College is a public institution located in Rockville, Maryland.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Montgomery College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Maryland. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,281.
With a ranking of #22, Northwest Vista College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. Northwest Vista College is a fairly large public school located in San Antonio, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwest Vista College is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Texas. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $4,491.
Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking, coming in at #23. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Brigham Young University - Idaho is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Idaho. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,635.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis has the honor of being ranked #3 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,181.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Value Report
With a ranking of #25, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) list. Jacksonville, 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 College at Jacksonville is ranked #10 for quality in the state of Florida. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,927.
Learn More About Value at Florida State College at Jacksonville
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Mt. San Antonio College | Walnut, CA | Value Report |
| 52 | Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa, CA | Value Report |
| 53 | Atlanta Technical College | Atlanta, GA | Value Report |
| 54 | Moorpark College | Moorpark, CA | Value Report |
| 55 | Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA | Value Report |
| 56 | Delta College | University Center, MI | Value Report |
| 57 | College of the Mainland | Texas City, TX | Value Report |
| 58 | Houston Community College | Houston, TX | Value Report |
| 59 | Lamar State College - Orange | Orange, TX | Value Report |
| 60 | Cerritos College | Norwalk, CA | Value Report |
| 61 | Riverside City College | Riverside, CA | Value Report |
| 61 | Foothill College | Los Altos Hills, CA | Value Report |
| 63 | St Petersburg College | St. Petersburg, FL | Value Report |
| 64 | College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn, IL | Value Report |
| 65 | Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus | Portales, NM | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 191 | Bismarck State College | Bismarck, ND | Value Report |
| 192 | Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey, IL | Value Report |
| 193 | Cochise County Community College District | Sierra Vista, AZ | Value Report |
| 194 | St Cloud Technical and Community College | Saint Cloud, MN | Value Report |
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These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 195 | Hinds Community College | Raymond, MS | Value Report |
| 196 | Howard Community College | Columbia, MD | Value Report |
| 197 | Community College of Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD | Value Report |
| 198 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell | Lowell, MA | Value Report |
| 199 | Rowan College at Burlington County | Mount Laurel, NJ | Value Report |
| 200 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC | Value Report |
| 200 | Johnston Community College | Smithfield, NC | Value Report |
| 200 | Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny, IA | Value Report |
| 203 | South Florida State College | Avon Park, FL | Value Report |
| 204 | Blue Ridge Community and Technical College | Martinsburg, WV | Value Report |
| 205 | Indiana University - Northwest | Gary, IN | Value Report |
| 206 | Mt. San Jacinto College | San Jacinto, CA | Value Report |
| 206 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA | Value Report |
| 208 | Chattahoochee Valley Community College | Phenix City, AL | Value Report |
| 209 | Reedley College | Reedley, CA | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | Southside Virginia Community College | Alberta, VA | Value Report |
| 251 | Vincennes University | Vincennes, IN | Value Report |
| 252 | Utah State University | Logan, UT | Value Report |
| 253 | Quinsigamond Community College | Worcester, MA | Value Report |
| 254 | Patrick Henry Community College | Martinsville, VA | Value Report |
| 255 | Midland College | Midland, TX | Value Report |
| 256 | University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, GA | Value Report |
| 257 | Midlands Technical College | West Columbia, SC | Value Report |
| 258 | Bristol Community College | Fall River, MA | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.