2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 18 schools in Connecticut to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs 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.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Post University to be the best school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in Connecticut.
The average tuition and fees at Post University is $15,458. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Post University accumulate an average of $35,442 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Post University does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 94% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Gateway Community College is a great place for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Connecticut who attend Gateway Community College full time pay an average of $4,496 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,448. On average, associate degree students take out $10,572 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Gateway Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 98% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The excellent associate degree programs at Sacred Heart University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Connecticut.
If you want to attend Sacred Heart, expect to pay an average of $45,230 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $33,830 in student loans.
Sacred Heart does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 70% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 18 schools in Connecticut that were part of this year’s ranking, Tunxis Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Tunxis Community College is $4,596. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,548. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,903 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Tunxis Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 73% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 18 schools in Connecticut that were part of this year’s ranking, Housatonic Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list.
Full-time students from Connecticut pay an average of $4,496 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Housatonic Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,448. On average, associate degree students take out $12,555 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Housatonic Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 95% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Asnuntuck Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut list.
Full-time students from Connecticut pay an average of $4,556 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend ACC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $13,508. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,225 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since ACC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.
Quinebaug Valley 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 #7 on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at QVCC is $4,506. Out-of-state students pay an average of $13,458. On average, associate degree students take out $8,033 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at QVCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 89% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Capital 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 #8 on the list.
Students from Connecticut who attend Capital Community College full time pay an average of $4,596 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,548. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,245 in student loans.
Capital Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of New Haven 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.
The average tuition and fees at University of New Haven is $42,898. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
University of New Haven does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 37% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Naugatuck Valley Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Naugatuck Valley Community College is $4,516. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,468. Associate Degree recipients from Naugatuck Valley Community College accumulate an average of $13,533 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 Naugatuck Valley Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Hartford came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut ranking.
The average tuition and fees at UHart is $44,885. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
Online courses are available at UHart, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 10% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Middlesex Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut ranking.
Students from Connecticut who attend MxCC full time pay an average of $4,476 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,428. On average, associate degree students take out $12,228 in loans while pursuing their degree.
MxCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 86% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Three Rivers 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 #13 on the list.
Full-time students from Connecticut pay an average of $4,596 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Three Rivers Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,548. Associate Degree recipients from Three Rivers Community College accumulate an average of $11,308 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Three Rivers Community College. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #14, University of Connecticut did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Connecticut who attend UCONN full time pay an average of $18,524 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $41,192.
Online courses are available at UCONN, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Manchester Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
Full-time students from Connecticut pay an average of $4,516 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend MCC. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,468. On average, associate degree students take out $11,342 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 80% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Bridgeport did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #16 on the list.
UBridgeport does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $35,760. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UBridgeport. In 2019-2020 about 46% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Norwalk Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut ranking.
Students from Connecticut who attend NCC full time pay an average of $4,586 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,538. On average, associate degree students take out $15,629 in loans while pursuing their degree.
NCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Northwestern Connecticut Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
In-state students pay an average of $4,556 in tuition and fees if they attend NCCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,508. On average, associate degree students take out $13,009 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at NCCC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Best Associate Degree Schools in the New England Region
View Best Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 18 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info | Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |