Best Associate's in Education Programs in 2026
All 3 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on graduation rate, affordability, and more. CIP 13.9999.
- In-state tuition typically runs from $1,104 to $11,886 a year, with a median near $4,616.
- 2 of 3 ranked programs sit at public universities.
- We rank on graduation rate first, then selectivity and affordability, all from federal IPEDS data.
- 1
Northwest State Community College
78score- 46%Grad rate
- $4,616/yrIn-state tuition
- $9,088/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 4,082Undergrads
- 2Grads/yr
- Early childhood development associate degree (Pre-Kindergarten)
About the programNorthwest State Community College offers an associate degree in early childhood development that prepares graduates for teaching roles in child-care facilities, Head Start centers, and preschools. The curriculum combines classroom instruction with field experiences, which require daytime availability for placements. Approved by the Ohio Department of Education, the program leads toward the state's Pre-Kindergarten Associate License. It is an associate degree in education at the associate level, based in Ohio.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageThree things decide where a program lands on this list: how many students finish, how selective it is, and what it costs. Start with the outcome that matters most, 46% of students graduate, top 1% among programs nationwide, which is the biggest reason it sits where it does. Tuition is middle of the road for programs nationwide at $4,616 in state, so cost neither helps nor hurts its standing. Strong on the measures that matter most, it earns a place near the top.
- 2
Berkeley City College
73score- 36%Grad rate
- $1,104/yrIn-state tuition
- $9,744/yrOut-of-state tuition
- 6,278Undergrads
- 4Grads/yr
- Liberal Studies: Teacher Preparation, AA
About the programBerkeley City College's Liberal Studies: Teacher Preparation Associate of Arts is a general education transfer pathway offered through the Education Teacher Preparation Program. The two-year degree is a route toward a bachelor's and eventual licensure rather than a license itself. It is distinct from the college's more specialized education degrees, the Elementary Teacher Education AA-T and the Child and Adolescent Development AA-T. This program offers an associate degree in education in California.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageThe ranking rewards programs that graduate their students, stay at least somewhat selective, and keep tuition reasonable, so here is how this one measures up. On completion, the heaviest factor, it lands mid-pack among programs nationwide at 36%, solid without being a standout. Cost only helps its case: at $1,104 in state, tuition runs below the national median, so students are not paying a premium for those results. Strong on the measures that matter most, it earns a place near the top.
- 3
Tougaloo College
0score- 33%Grad rate
- $11,886/yrTuition (in or out of state)
- 60%Admit rate
- 1,286Undergrads
- 5Grads/yr
- Associate of Arts in Education
About the programTougaloo College offers an Associate of Arts in Education through its School of Education, Supervision and Instruction. The degree functions as a transfer pathway, preparing students for entry-level education positions or seamless transfer into Tougaloo's four-year Elementary Education or Secondary Education bachelor's programs, which lead to P-6 and 7-12 initial licensure. The AA itself is not a licensure credential. Programs are approved by the Mississippi Department of Education and CAEP. As an associate degree in education, it adds to the associate-level education options in Mississippi.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageIts place on the list comes down to outcomes, selectivity, and price, weighted in that order. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 33% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. A 60% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. The one drag is price, $11,886 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. Together, that is one of the strongest profiles on the page.
How we rank
Each program is scored 0 to 100 against the other associate's programs in its specialty: graduation rate (55%) and affordability by in-state tuition (45%). Scores are percentile-based within the specialty, so they compare like with like, and a program missing a field gets the neutral median. Because an associate's in elementary education is a two-year transfer degree offered almost entirely by open-admission community colleges, selectivity is not used. Earnings are excluded because they depend on transferring and finishing a bachelor's degree. Every associate's program in the specialty is ranked and shown, with no per-state cap.
- Graduation rate: 55%
- Affordability (in-state tuition): 45%
How much an associate's in Education program costs
Published in-state tuition across the 3 ranked associate's programs typically runs from $1,104 to $11,886 a year, with a median near $4,616. Most of that spread is public versus private: public universities charge state residents the least, while private colleges set a single sticker price that applies to everyone. 2 of the 3 programs here are public, which is usually where the lowest in-state numbers come from.
Sticker price is rarely what a student pays. Grants and scholarships lower the net cost, and future teachers have aid written specifically for them: the federal TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year to students who agree to teach a high-need subject in a low-income school, and many states add service scholarships and loan-forgiveness programs for people who commit to the classroom. Two costs to watch are out-of-state tuition, which at public schools often runs two to three times the resident rate, and mandatory fees and living expenses, which the tuition figure leaves out entirely.
Sources: tuition and program data from IPEDS; the TEACH Grant from Federal Student Aid.
Ways to earn your associate's in Education
An associate's in Education is usually the first two years of a longer teaching path rather than a destination in itself. Most are delivered on campus, since even early coursework often includes in-person classroom observation. Many are designed explicitly as a transfer, or pre-education, track that maps onto a four-year degree.
The move that saves the most money is articulation: completing general-education and introductory teaching coursework at a community college, then transferring those credits into a bachelor's program to finish the degree and student teaching. Statewide transfer agreements in many states guarantee that an approved associate's applies in full, so it pays to choose a program with a clear articulation pathway to the university you eventually want to attend.
An associate's on its own does not lead to a standard teaching license, which is the norm for this level rather than a shortcoming. What it does do is open the door to classroom roles now, paraprofessional and teacher-aide positions, and in some states a step toward early-childhood or substitute credentials while you keep studying toward the bachelor's.
Sources: online and program counts from IPEDS; alternative-certification pathways per the US Department of Education.
Data sources for our Associate's in Education ranking
- Program counts, tuition, graduation and admission rates: IPEDS, US Department of Education.
- Program descriptions: each school's official catalog and program pages.