2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Maryland
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 Maryland ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Maryland to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Associate Degree Schools in Maryland
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Anne Arundel Community College the best school in Maryland for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Maryland who attend AACC full time pay an average of $8,900 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,550. Associate Degree recipients from AACC accumulate an average of $13,455 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that AACC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 96% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The excellent associate degree programs at Baltimore City Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Maryland.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Baltimore City Community College is $3,314. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,394. Associate Degree recipients from Baltimore City Community College accumulate an average of $14,180 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Since Baltimore City Community College is primarily an online school, it is an excellent choice for undergraduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Prince George’s Community College is a great place for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Maryland who attend PGCC full time pay an average of $6,026 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,474. Associate Degree recipients from PGCC accumulate an average of $15,679 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at PGCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chesapeake College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Maryland list.
Students from Maryland who attend Chesapeake College full time pay an average of $5,552 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,400.
Chesapeake College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Community College of Baltimore County is a great place for students working on their associate degree.
Full-time students from Maryland pay an average of $6,918 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend CCBC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,062. On average, associate degree students take out $20,429 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CCBC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Harford Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Harford Community College is $6,065. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,302. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,835 in student loans.
Harford Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Howard Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Maryland ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $7,380 in tuition and fees if they attend HCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,973. On average, associate degree students take out $19,108 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at HCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
College of Southern Maryland came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Maryland ranking.
Students from Maryland who attend CSM full time pay an average of $7,050 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,030. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,731 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CSM. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #9, Montgomery College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Maryland who attend Montgomery College full time pay an average of $10,254 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $14,061. On average, associate degree students take out $16,910 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Montgomery College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 37% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #10, Frederick Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Frederick Community College is $7,444. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,844. On average, associate degree students take out $13,742 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Frederick Community College. In 2019-2020 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, Carroll Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Maryland who attend Carroll Community College full time pay an average of $6,798 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,688. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,655 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Carroll Community College. In fact, around 89% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #12, Hagerstown Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at HCC is $6,390. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,190. Associate Degree recipients from HCC accumulate an average of $18,079 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at HCC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Allegany College of Maryland ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Maryland list.
Students from Maryland who attend Allegany College of Maryland full time pay an average of $8,270 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,280. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,176 in student loans.
Allegany College of Maryland does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #14, Wor-Wic Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Full-time students from Maryland pay an average of $6,720 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Wor-Wic Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,280. Associate Degree recipients from Wor-Wic Community College accumulate an average of $14,050 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Wor-Wic Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Best Associate Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 14 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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