2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in California
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamp that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 84 schools in California to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Associate Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found National University to be the best school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Located in San Diego, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 246 associate degree awards in .
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Out of the 84 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Rosa Junior College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,083 students in .
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,318 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend SRJC. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,310.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Canada College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in Redwood City, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 422 associate degree awards in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,332 in tuition and fees if they attend Canada College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,508.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Foothill College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school situated in Los Altos Hills, California. It awarded 787 associate degrees in .
Students from California who attend Foothill College full time pay an average of $1,565 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,320.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Pacific Union College is a great place for students working on their associate degree. PUC is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 95 associate degrees in .
If you want to attend PUC, expect to pay an average of $35,214 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
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With a ranking of #6, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree. SBCC is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,554 associate degrees in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at SBCC is $1,234. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,186.
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With a ranking of #7, Merced College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree. Merced College is a fairly large public school located in Merced, California that handed out 1,515 associate degrees in .
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,194 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Merced Community College District. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,154.
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Gavilan College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Gavilan College is a medium-sized public school located in Gilroy, California that handed out 582 associate degrees in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Gavilan College is $1,506. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,246.
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Saddleback College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Mission Viejo, California, and it awarded 5,036 associate degrees in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,432 in tuition and fees if they attend Saddleback College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,732.
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Yuba College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in Marysville, California, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,351 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,128 in tuition and fees if they attend Yuba College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,208.
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Los Angeles Valley College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Valley Glen, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,018 students in .
Students from California who attend LAVC full time pay an average of $1,238 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,130.
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Asher College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Asher College is a private for-profit institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 195 associate degrees in .
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Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 40 students in .
The average tuition and fees at MSMU is $48,132. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
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Cuesta College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,791 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,340 in tuition and fees if they attend Cuesta College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,000.
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With a ranking of #15, Napa Valley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree. Napa Valley College is a public institution located in Napa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 557 associate degrees in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Napa Valley College is $1,156. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,908.
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Mendocino College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Mendocino College is a public institution located in Ukiah, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 365 associate degrees in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,423 in tuition and fees if they attend Mendocino College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,893.
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Cerritos College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Norwalk, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,833 students in .
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,364 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Cerritos College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,004.
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College of the Canyons ranked #18 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in Santa Clarita, California, the fairly large public school handed out 3,031 associate degree awards in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,176 in tuition and fees if they attend College of the Canyons full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,232.
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DeVry University - California landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. DeVry University - California is located in Ontario, California and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 166 associate degrees to qualified students.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $15,032 to cover tuition and fees at DeVry University - California. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
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San Jose City College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. San Jose City College is a medium-sized public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 666 associate degrees in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,366 in tuition and fees if they attend San Jose City College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,486.
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Moorpark College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in Moorpark, California, the fairly large public school awarded 3,123 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .
In-state students pay an average of $1,412 in tuition and fees if they attend Moorpark College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,642.
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With a ranking of #22, Evergreen Valley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 896 associate degrees in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Evergreen Valley College is $1,366. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,718.
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Los Angeles City College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Los Angeles City College is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,628 associate degrees in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Los Angeles City College is $1,238. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,130.
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Los Angeles Harbor College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in Wilmington, California, the medium-sized public school handed out 2,034 associate degree awards in .
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,238 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend LAHC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,130.
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Moreno Valley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Moreno Valley College is located in Moreno Valley, California and has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 1,354 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from California who attend Moreno Valley College full time pay an average of $1,420 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,230.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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