by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a degree. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Value Schools for an Associate ranking - to help you make that decision.
In This Year's Value Report:
After analyzing 1,296 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Associate Degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best value schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking is determined by first looking at the combined costs of average tuition, fees, and room and board before any aid is applied. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Lee College to be the best value (no aid) school for associate degrees in the United States in this year’s ranking. Lee College is a medium-sized public school located in Baytown, Texas.
Lee College has the honor of being ranked #1 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $10,320 a year for undergraduates.
The quality degree programs at University of Phoenix - Arizona helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Phoenix - Arizona is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Arizona. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,402 a year.
The quality degree programs at American Public University System helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school located in Charles Town, West Virginia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, American Public University System is ranked #1 for quality in the state of West Virginia. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,072 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hennepin Technical College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the school is a small public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Hennepin Technical College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Minnesota. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,675 a year for undergraduates.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list means Central Georgia Technical College is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Warner Robins, Georgia, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Central Georgia Technical College has the honor of being ranked #2 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $7,844 a year.
Central Texas College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. Central Texas College is a medium-sized public school located in Killeen, Texas.
Central Texas College has the honor of being ranked #3 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,611 a year for undergraduates.
Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. BYU - I is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho.
Brigham Young University - Idaho has the honor of being ranked #1 in Idaho for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $8,868 a year for undergraduates.
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Watertown, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Lake Area Technical Institute has the honor of being ranked #2 in South Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,988 a year.
Northcentral Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking, coming in at #9. Northcentral Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Northcentral Technical College has the honor of being ranked #4 in Wisconsin for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $11,855 a year.
Houston Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Houston Community College is a public institution located in Houston, Texas.
Not only is Houston Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Texas for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,540 a year.
Eastern Gateway Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Steubenville, Ohio, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Eastern Gateway Community College is ranked #5 for quality in the state of Ohio. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $11,622 a year.
Ranken Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Ranken Technical College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Not only is Ranken Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Missouri for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $23,914 a year for undergraduates.
University of Northwestern Ohio came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. University of Northwestern Ohio is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lima, Ohio.
University of Northwestern Ohio has the honor of being ranked #2 in Ohio for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $18,519 a year.
With a ranking of #14, Western Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. Western Technical College is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Western Technical College is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,659 a year for undergraduates.
With a ranking of #15, Texas State Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. This fairly large public school is located in Waco, Texas.
Not only is Texas State Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Texas for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $20,441 a year for undergraduates.
With a ranking of #16, Park University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and has a medium-sized student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Park University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Missouri for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $16,937 a year for undergraduates.
Central New Mexico Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Central New Mexico Community College has the honor of being ranked #1 in New Mexico for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,962 a year for undergraduates.
Read full value report on Central New Mexico Community College
Clover Park Technical College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Lakewood, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Clover Park Technical College is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Washington. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,430 a year.
Dakota County Technical College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Dakota County Technical College is a small public school located in Rosemount, Minnesota.
Not only is Dakota County Technical College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Minnesota for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,678 a year.
South Texas College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. South Texas College is a large public school situated in McAllen, Texas.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, South Texas College is ranked #9 for quality in the state of Texas. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,352 a year.
Metropolitan Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. MCC is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska.
Metropolitan Community College has the honor of being ranked #1 in Nebraska for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $10,935 a year.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. CVTC is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Chippewa Valley Technical College is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,527 a year.
Bunker Hill Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking, coming in at #23. Bunker Hill Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Not only is Bunker Hill Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Massachusetts for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $17,024 a year.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Ohio. The average cost without aid for the school is $14,220 a year for undergraduates.
Full Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Value Report
With a ranking of #25, Lamar Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money list. This small public school is located in Beaumont, Texas.
Lamar Institute of Technology has the honor of being ranked #4 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $18,600 a year.
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 | Value Report | ||
| 52 | Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology | Lancaster, PA | Value Report |
| 53 | Cochise County Community College District | Sierra Vista, AZ | Value Report |
| 54 | San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena, TX | Value Report |
| 55 | Savannah State University | Savannah, GA | Value Report |
| 56 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT | Value Report |
| 57 | Waukesha County Technical College | Pewaukee, WI | Value Report |
| 58 | Rio Salado College | Tempe, AZ | Value Report |
| 59 | Garden City Community College | Garden City, KS | Value Report |
| 60 | Otero Junior College | La Junta, CO | Value Report |
| 61 | Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN | Value Report |
| 62 | Alexandria Technical & Community College | Alexandria, MN | Value Report |
| 63 | Elgin Community College | Elgin, IL | Value Report |
| 64 | Odessa College | Odessa, TX | Value Report |
| 65 | Lanier Technical College | Gainesville, GA | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 191 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, WA | Value Report |
| 192 | Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City, IA | Value Report |
| 193 | Beaufort County Community College | Washington, NC | Value Report |
| 193 | Grayson College | Denison, TX | Value Report |
| 195 | Georgia Highlands College | Rome, GA | Value Report |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
These schools also performed well in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | Montgomery College | Rockville, MD | Value Report |
| 197 | Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield, IL | Value Report |
| 198 | Victoria College | Victoria, TX | Value Report |
| 199 | Lenoir Community College | Kinston, NC | Value Report |
| 200 | Southern Crescent Technical College | Griffin, GA | Value Report |
| 201 | Bellevue College | Bellevue, WA | Value Report |
| 201 | Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City, OK | Value Report |
| 203 | Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell Campus | Roswell, NM | Value Report |
| 204 | Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville, NC | Value Report |
| 204 | Howard Community College | Columbia, MD | Value Report |
| 206 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College | Chandler, AZ | Value Report |
| 207 | Cowley County Community College | Arkansas City, KS | Value Report |
| 208 | Arkansas State University - Beebe | Beebe, AR | Value Report |
| 209 | Mid-State Technical College | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | Value Report |
| 209 | Trinidad State Junior College | Trinidad, CO | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids, MI | Value Report |
| 252 | Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids, IA | Value Report |
| 253 | Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Value Report |
| 254 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL | Value Report |
| 255 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX | Value Report |
| 256 | Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa, CA | Value Report |
| 257 | Herzing University - Madison | Madison, WI | Value Report |
| 258 | Fresno City College | Fresno, CA | Value Report |
| 258 | Schoolcraft College | Livonia, MI | Value Report |
| 260 | Salt Lake Community College | Salt Lake City, UT | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.