2023 Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 51 schools in California to see which ones had the most popular online associate degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.
Featured schools near , edit
Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these popular schools with online programs:
Our 2023 rankings named Santa Monica College the most popular school in California for students working on their associate degree. SMC is a large public school situated in Santa Monica, California. It awarded 3,921 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend SMC full time pay an average of $1,146 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,090. Associate Degree recipients from SMC accumulate an average of $13,428 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
Around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Out of the 51 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Rio Hondo College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in Whittier, California, the fairly large public school handed out 2,207 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend RHCCD full time pay an average of $1,360 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,780. Associate Degree recipients from RHCCD accumulate an average of $18,088 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 63% were women.
To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 30% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Merced College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California list. This medium-sized public school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 1,667 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend Merced Community College District full time pay an average of $1,180 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,444. On average, associate degree students take out $10,503 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.
During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at College of San Mateo helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular schools in California. This medium-sized public school is located in San Mateo, California, and it awarded 1,000 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,440 in tuition and fees if they attend CSM full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,114. On average, associate degree students take out $16,091 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 53% were women.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Compton College is a great place for students working on their associate degree. Compton College is a small public school situated in Compton, California. It awarded 638 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend Compton College full time pay an average of $1,142 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,990. Of those students who received their degree, 77% were women.
In 2019-2020 about 34% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Saddleback College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 3,190 students in 2020-2021.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Saddleback College is $1,332. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,292. Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Santa Barbara City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. SBCC is located in Santa Barbara, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,238 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,232 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend SBCC. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,912. On average, associate degree students take out $21,459 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 65% of those degree recipients were women.
Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. This small private for-profit school is located in San Mateo, California, and it awarded 475 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Associate Degree recipients from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts accumulate an average of $21,393 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 78% were women.
During the 2019-2020 year, about 24% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
San Bernardino Valley College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. San Bernardino Valley College is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,160 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend San Bernardino Valley College full time pay an average of $1,362 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,146. On average, associate degree students take out $9,396 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 70% were women.
During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Los Angeles Harbor College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California list. Los Angeles Harbor College is a medium-sized public school located in Wilmington, California that handed out 2,134 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,238 in tuition and fees if they attend LAHC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,012. Associate Degree recipients from LAHC accumulate an average of $13,073 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
In 2019-2020 about 57% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Unitek College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Fremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.
Associate Degree recipients from Unitek College accumulate an average of $23,323 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 82% of those degree recipients were women.
Since Unitek 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.
National University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 229 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,212 in student loans. Around 54% of those degree recipients were women.
Around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Brandman University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree programs. Brandman is located in Irvine, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at Brandman is $12,480. 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 Brandman accumulate an average of $18,359 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 56% were women.
Since Brandman 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.
University of the People did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 165 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 33% were women.
University of the People is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Butte College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California list. Oroville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,279 students in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend Butte College full time pay an average of $1,368 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,848. Associate Degree recipients from Butte College accumulate an average of $16,685 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 66% were women.
In 2019-2020 about 33% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
International Sports Sciences Association came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. International Sports Sciences Association is a very small private for-profit school located in Carpinteria, California that handed out 113 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at ISSA is $10,107. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $19,753 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 22% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, ISSA is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Read full report on International Sports Sciences Association
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in Visalia, California, the small private for-profit school handed out 351 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,946 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 75% were women.
To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 68% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #19, Academy of Art University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their associate degree. Located in San Francisco, California, the medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 113 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Academy of Art University is $25,424. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $34,310 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 62% of those degree recipients were women.
Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #20, Laurus College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their associate degree. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.
Associate Degree recipients from Laurus College accumulate an average of $35,609 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.
Laurus College is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #21, Carrington College, Sacramento did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their associate degree. Located in Sacramento, California, the small private for-profit school awarded 432 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $29,267 in student loans. Around 91% of those degree recipients were women.
Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 74% took at least some of their classes online.
Azusa Pacific University College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in San Dimas, California, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 56 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $35,905 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 91% were women.
Azusa Pacific’s University College is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
University of La Verne did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #23 on the list. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
If you want to attend ULV, expect to pay an average of $45,850 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Around 29% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, ULV is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
National Career College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree programs. Located in Panorama City, California, the very small private for-profit school handed out 26 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Around 73% of those degree recipients were women.
National Career College is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
California Institute of Arts & Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list. California Institute of Arts & Technology is located in San Diego, California and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at California Institute of Arts & Technology is $15,390. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,458 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out California Institute of Arts & Technology. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
View Most Popular Online Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.