It's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Top Louisiana Colleges for an Associate ranking - to help you make that decision.
Our analysis looked at 19 schools in Louisiana to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
Higher Than Average Earnings
The average early-career salary of those graduating with a associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. A associate degree holder from a school in Louisiana makes an average starting salary of $42,447, but the students who attended schools in the top 17 of our list make an average of $51,699.
Starting Salary ( 36326 to 65436 )
Taking Out Student Loans
Another factor that we look at to determine a school's ranking is the average debt load that students take on while they are working on their associate degree.
When attending a school in Louisiana, associate degree students accumulate an average of $9,413 in student debt before graduation.
The average debt load at a particular school may not be bad, but it's an important thing to consider in conjunction with post-graduation earnings.
More Ranking Factors That Are Important
Our Best Associate Degree Schools considers other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt.
On a broad level, other factors that go into our rankings include such things as the demand of the school, the student body caliber, if the school has online options, and the educational resources provided by the school.
You may also want to narrow this list by location to find the best associate degree schools nearest you. Also, check out our other college rankings to help you with your college decision.
Our analysis found Louisiana Tech University to be the best school for associate degrees in Louisiana in this year’s ranking. Louisiana Tech is located in Ruston, Louisiana and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 71 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $75,694 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Delgado Community College. The school came in at #2 in Louisiana on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. This fairly large public school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 1,051 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from Delgado Community College make an average of $44,623 per year during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $8,014 in student loans.
The excellent associate degree programs at River Parishes Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Louisiana. River Parishes Community College is a public institution located in Gonzales, Louisiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 305 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $52,553 during the early years of their career.
The excellent associate degree programs at South Louisiana Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Louisiana. Lafayette, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 699 students in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from South Louisiana Community College go into careers with an average salary of $36,803 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Nicholls State University. The school came in at #5 in Louisiana on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. Nicholls State University is a public institution located in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 136 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $63,555 during the early years of their career.
McNeese State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. McNeese State University is a medium-sized public school located in Lake Charles, Louisiana that handed out 64 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from McNeese make an average of $37,650 a year.
University of Louisiana at Monroe landed the #7 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. ULM is a medium-sized public school situated in Monroe, Louisiana. It awarded 55 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Bossier Parish Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking, coming in at #8. Bossier Parish Community College is located in Bossier City, Louisiana and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 574 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $44,752 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #9, Northwestern State University of Louisiana did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. NSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It awarded 408 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from NSU make an average of $57,842 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $13,730 after getting their degree.
Baton Rouge Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. BRCC is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 543 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a associate degree from BRCC go into careers with an average salary of $44,664 during the early years of their career.
Nunez Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. This small public school is located in Chalmette, Louisiana, and it awarded 164 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Nunez Community College go into careers with an average salary of $40,592 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #12, Louisiana State University - Eunice did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. Located in Eunice, Louisiana, the small public school awarded 333 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from LSU Eunice go into careers with an average salary of $57,354 during the early years of their career.
Louisiana State University - Alexandria came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. Louisiana State University - Alexandria is located in Alexandria, Louisiana and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 139 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Louisiana State University - Alexandria make an average of $64,887 a year.
Fletcher Technical Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. Fletcher Technical Community College is a small public school located in Schriever, Louisiana that handed out 201 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from Fletcher Technical Community College make an average of $70,711 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #15, Louisiana Delta Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. Monroe, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 292 students in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from LDCC make an average of $50,882 a year.
With a ranking of #16, Southern University at Shreveport did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. Shreveport, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 174 students in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Southern University at Shreveport go into careers with an average salary of $74,177 during the early years of their career.
Herzing University - Kenner landed the #17 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana ranking. Herzing University - Kenner is located in Metairie, Louisiana and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 78 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Herzing University - Kenner make an average of $34,252 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $15,000 after getting their degree.
With a ranking of #18, McCann School of Business & Technology did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. Monroe, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 35 students in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from McCann School of Business & Technology make an average of $27,890 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $7,332 after getting their degree.
With a ranking of #19, Northshore Technical Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Louisiana list. Located in Lacombe, Louisiana, the medium-sized public school awarded 138 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
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%.
