2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Our analysis looked at 57 schools in Texas to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Associate Degree Schools in Texas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Central Texas College to be the best school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in Texas.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,657 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Central Texas College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 74% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at El Centro College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Texas.
On average, associate degree students take out $18,961 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since El Centro College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Collin County Community College District. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $3,094 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Collin County Community College District. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,104. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,379 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Collin County Community College District does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wayland Baptist University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $22,004 to cover tuition and fees at Wayland Baptist University. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Wayland Baptist University. In 2019-2020 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 57 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the # 5 spot on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $4,530 in tuition and fees if they attend South Texas College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,920. Associate Degree recipients from South Texas College accumulate an average of $8,401 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that South Texas College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
Lone Star College System came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $4,848 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend North Harris Montgomery. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,168. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,481 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at North Harris Montgomery. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 72% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Lee College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $3,882 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Lee College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,302. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,284 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lee College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 49% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Austin Community College District landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
In-state students pay an average of $8,580 in tuition and fees if they attend Austin Community College District full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,590. On average, associate degree students take out $16,220 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Austin Community College District. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Tarrant County College District came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,198 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Tarrant County College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #10, McLennan Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Students from Texas who attend MCC full time pay an average of $4,200 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,910. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,859 in student loans.
Online courses are available at MCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Panola College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Panola College is $3,672. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,680.
Online courses are available at Panola College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Weatherford College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list.
Students from Texas who attend Weatherford College full time pay an average of $5,700 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,800. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,268 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Weatherford College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 37% took at least some of their classes online.
University of the Incarnate Word landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
UIW does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $33,100. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $19,041 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UIW 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Midland College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $4,620 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Midland College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,880. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,310 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Midland College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #15, Northwest Vista 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 Northwest Vista College is $6,592. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $14,122. Associate Degree recipients from Northwest Vista College accumulate an average of $13,060 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Northwest Vista College. In 2019-2020 about 42% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Antonio College 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.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at San Antonio College is $6,592. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $14,122. Associate Degree recipients from San Antonio College accumulate an average of $16,504 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that San Antonio College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 53% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Hallmark University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
On average, associate degree students take out $23,845 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Hallmark does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
North Central Texas College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $4,560 in tuition and fees if they attend NCTC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,080. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,150 in student loans.
NCTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Houston Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $4,344 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Houston Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,460. On average, associate degree students take out $23,597 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Houston Community College 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. In fact, around 88% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Amarillo College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Amarillo College is $3,168. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,704. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,641 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Amarillo College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 57% took at least some of their classes online.
San Jacinto Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Associate Degree recipients from San Jacinto College accumulate an average of $13,960 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that San Jacinto College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Texas State Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list.
On average, associate degree students take out $16,405 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at TSTC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Navarro College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $4,508 in tuition and fees if they attend Navarro College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,368. Associate Degree recipients from Navarro College accumulate an average of $19,157 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Navarro College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Remington College - North Houston Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #24 on the list.
Associate Degree recipients from Remington College - North Houston Campus accumulate an average of $24,393 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Remington College - North Houston Campus is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
With a ranking of #25, Southwestern Assemblies of God University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $17,404. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Southwestern Assemblies of God University accumulate an average of $29,477 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 Southwestern Assemblies of God University does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
View Best Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
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.
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 > |