Credit requirements vary a little by program, school, and state, but generally speaking, an associate’s degree requires 60 semester (90 quarter) credits.
Traditionally, an associate’s degree takes 2 years to complete.
However, many colleges and universities today are offering accelerated online degree programs that can cut your time substantially.
For example, you can complete your Associate’s degree in 1 year and 6 months online as opposed to 2 years using the traditional route. Instead of taking 4-5 classes per semester, you take 2 classes per term, and a term might only last as little as 5 weeks.
Let’s attempt to do the math:
You need 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits to obtain an Associate’s degree.
On a traditional schedule, most people take 15 credits per semester. Usually, a semester lasts 15 weeks. This averages out to about 1 credit per week.
On an accelerated schedule, students take 6 credits per term. The shortest term lasts 5 weeks. This averages out to 1.2 credits per week. We’re already picking up speed.
Did you know that accelerated students usually skip vacation? They don’t go on spring break. They don’t take summer vacation. They just keep right on trucking. This speeds things up even further.
If you complete 1 credit per week in a traditional format, you’ll complete 60 credits in 2 years.
If you complete 1.2 credits per week and you skip vacations, you’ll complete 60 credits in 50 weeks, which is less than 1 year.
* Now, be mindful that many schools that offer degree programs online have about a week off between terms. So, it’s probably more realistic that you’ll complete your Associate’s degree in as little as 1 year and 3 months, with 1 year and 6 months being most realistic. Even if you go to college online, there are still some schools that will serve up your Associate’s degree in the usual 2 years.
A big number of online programs go year round. There’s no Summer vacation and the biggest holiday season, Christmas, gets you out of school for about a week. “Accelerated” means “accelerated!”
Of course, there are a zillion other factors to consider. But, it’s pretty hard to deny that participating in an accelerated online program will accelerate you. You will earn a degree in less time.
Of course, programs vary and some online schools won’t admit they are offering accelerated programs. So be sure to ask questions before signing on the dotted line. Ask the admissions office just how long a degree will take, and when you can expect to graduate.
A college education can put you on the path to success, but bachelor’s degrees aren’t your only option. If you’re considering other educational paths, you might be wondering, “How long does it take to get an associate degree?” This undergraduate degree requires less time than a bachelor’s degree, and as a result, it is much more affordable. Of course, you shouldn’t enroll in a degree program without really understanding what to expect, including how long you’re likely to be in school. The time it takes to complete your associate’s degree varies depending on your program of study, whether you’re studying full-time or part-time and other factors.
How Long Is an Associate Degree in Years?
When prospective students ask the question, “How long does it take to get an associate degree?”, they’re usually looking for an answer measured in years. An associate’s degree is often referred to as a “two-year” degree. That’s because the number of college courses traditionally required to complete an associate’s degree program can be done in two years if you are studying full-time. This is half the length of time it takes to earn a traditional bachelor’s degree, which is commonly called a four-year degree.
All that said, two years is the shortest amount of time in which a full-time student of a traditional, non-accelerated associate’s degree program could graduate. It’s not a guarantee that students will graduate within two years. Many students take longer than two years to graduate with their associate’s degrees.
The reasons that students may take longer to graduate vary. Some students have to repeat certain courses, either because they didn’t pass the class the first time or because their major requires them to achieve certain grades. Other times, students may switch majors during the course of their studies, and it may take them longer to finish all of the courses they are required to take for their new major.
If a student’s schedule can’t accommodate the courses they need to take at the time they need to take them – if, for example, students must take courses in a certain sequence and a course they need to take in the fall is only offered in the spring or vice versa – this dilemma can set them back. Similarly, students may technically be considered full-time taking a smaller course load, such as 12 credits instead of 15, but doing so will still put them behind schedule if they hope to graduate within two years.
Students who go to school part-time take longer to graduate, as well. Many students choose to study part-time to balance their academic pursuits with their part-time or full-time work. Other students have personal reasons for pursuing an associate’s degree part-time, such as raising a family, serving as a caretaker for a loved one or dealing with a medical condition themselves.
Taking classes during the summer semester between your first and second year of an associate’s degree can help you catch up if you fall behind or even get ahead on your coursework, so you can graduate on time or possibly even early. However, the selection of courses offered during the summer semester is often limited.
IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain.
How Long Is an Associate Degree in Credits?
The reason that associate’s degrees can vary in the amount of time it takes to graduate is because associate’s degrees are awarded based on completing a curriculum that encompasses at least 60 credits of college study. For the purposes of comparison, bachelor’s degree programs require at least twice that many credits, 120. Generally, full-time students must complete 30 college credits per year, or 15 credits each during the fall and spring semesters, if they’re going to graduate from an associate’s degree program on time.
Despite the two-year nickname, schools have been increasingly requiring students in associate’s degree programs to earn more than 60 credits in order to graduate, Inside Higher Ed reported in 2013. When students have to complete 64, 70 or more credits to attain their degree, tacking on those extra credits can translate to having to spend another semester or even another full year working toward an associate’s degree.
Some colleges have since made efforts to reduce the number of credit hours required for associate’s degree programs back down to the traditional 60 credits, prompted in part by pressure from state lawmakers. However, overzealous credit requirements remain a concern that can hold students back from graduating within the timeframe they had planned and, in some instances, from graduating at all.
Because associate’s degrees require far fewer courses, and often less advanced coursework, they’re often considered easier than bachelor’s degree programs. Some of the most popular degrees at the associate’s level are also among the easiest online associate’s degrees to earn.
Earning an Associate’s Degree Faster or Slower Than the Two-Year Average
It isn’t just up to the individual student how long their studies take. Your program of study may also affect how long it takes to graduate. Certain degree programs require more or less time to complete, either due to the structure of the program itself or to the need to complete extra requirements, such as clinical or fieldwork experiences.
Accelerated Associate’s Degrees
If you’re eager to avoid spending extra time on your associate’s degree, accelerated associate’s degree programs might be of interest to you. Through a combination of opportunities such as offering intensive condensed courses and allowing students to gain college credit for life and work experience, these degree programs can allow students to finish their community college education much quicker. Sometimes, an associate’s degree program that is offered in an accelerated format may take as little as 12 months to finish.
Many accelerated associate’s degree programs are online degree programs. Students should be aware that not every school offers accelerated degree options, and even at those schools that do, not every program of study can be completed in an accelerated format.
Another option you may have for earning your associate’s degree faster is by enrolling in a degree completion program. If you previously completed some college coursework but didn’t graduate with a degree, you may be able to transfer some of the credits and courses you have already taken to your new degree program. Although you will still need to meet your new school’s general education requirements and all of your mandatory major coursework, you don’t have to start from scratch. There may be limits on the number of credits you can transfer, so you should review your transcripts and work with an admissions coordinator or an advisor to determine what will be required of you to complete your new degree.
Longer Associate’s Degree Programs
Some associate’s degree programs will almost always take longer than two years because they were never intended as two-year programs, to begin with. However, these lengthy associate’s degrees are often worth the wait and the extra work, because they prepare students for well-paid careers without requiring further studies at the bachelor’s level.
One example is an Associate in Applied Science degree in dental hygiene. These degree programs typically do take three years of work to complete, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. Students need that extra time to finish coursework in head and neck anatomy, radiography, pathology, periodontics and other laboratory courses, as well as meet in-person clinical experience requirements. Fortunately, dental hygienists are well paid for their extra year of school, earning a median wage of $77,090 as of 2020, according to the BLS. In fact, dental hygiene is one degree that students are better off earning at a community college, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Ultimately, how long it takes you to earn an associate’s degree matters less than how well that degree helps you to achieve your personal and professional goals.
The Benefits of Earning an Associate’s Degree
If you want to quickly attain an education that will prepare you for a better career, an associate’s degree could be your best bet. Students can complete this degree in a fraction of the time it would take to earn a bachelor’s degree. This short duration of schooling is a benefit in and of itself. After all, for many students, the main driving factor behind going to college is preparing for their future careers. Staying in school longer than needed doesn’t make sense for most students.
The Lower Tuition Costs for Associate’s Degrees
Earning your degree quickly offers other benefits, too, including financial benefits. Spending more time in school imposes an opportunity cost. If you’re a full-time student, you probably aren’t able to work full-time, too. In addition to the tuition costs you’re paying during your studies, you’re also losing out on potential income for each extra year you’re in school. As such, cutting the time it takes to earn your degree in half also means decreasing this opportunity cost considerably.
As tuition costs go, there’s another reason that earning an associate’s degree is more affordable than earning a bachelor’s degree. The tuition at community colleges that offer associate’s degrees is often far more affordable than tuition at a four-year college or university, so you’re actually cutting the cost of your education by well over half. To fully grasp the difference in costs between community colleges and four-year colleges, it helps to look at the data.
The College Board reported that the average published yearly tuition and fees cost for public two-year colleges was an affordable $3,440 for in-district students. In comparison, public four-year colleges charge in-state students an average amount of $9,410 – more than 2.7 times what they would pay, on average, at a two-year school. Out-of-state students pay even more for a year of education at a public four-year college, for which the average published yearly tuition and fees were $23,890 – nearly seven times tuition cost at a two-year school. Finally, private four-year colleges charge the highest average tuition costs. The average published yearly tuition and fees at private four-year colleges amounted to $32,410, nearly 9.5 times what you would encounter at a public two-year college.
A Greater Likelihood of Graduating
Aside from the cost, an associate’s degree is a good choice for other reasons, like ensuring that you don’t end up with no degree if you’re not totally sure about going to college. If you go straight for a four-year degree, you could spend two, three or even four years working toward graduation but still end up with no degree, if you don’t take the right courses to fulfill your bachelor’s degree curriculum. Even if you completed enough coursework to be the equivalent of an associate’s degree at a two-year school, your four-year school is unlikely to award this credential. If you decide to start working toward an associate’s degree first and then transfer those credits to a bachelor’s degree program, you’re more likely to at least walk away with an associate’s degree.
The Pay Bump From Going to College
Having a college education generally improves your earning potential, even if an associate’s degree typically doesn’t increase your earning potential as much as a bachelor’s degree would. The BLS reported median usual weekly earnings of $938 for workers with an associate’s degree as of 2020. This translated to $48,776 over the course of a year. Workers with a bachelor’s degree, instead, made a median weekly wage of $1,305, which added up to $67,860 per year. That difference of nearly $20,000 is significant. Still, workers with an associate’s degree fare considerably better than those without.
Those who have taken some college classes but did not earn a degree reported a median weekly wage of $877 for 2020, which added up to $45,604 per year. Considering the low cost of earning an associate’s degree at a two-year college, it only takes a couple of years, on average, for an associate’s degree to pay for itself. After that, you have a lifetime of increased earnings to enjoy.
Compared to workers with no education beyond a high school diploma, an associate’s degree offers a great deal of value. Those with only a high school diploma reported earning median wages of just $781 per week, or $40,612. Within the first year of work with an associate’s degree, the average employee has already earned enough additional money to recoup the average cost of tuition and fees for their associate’s degree. Another $8,000 per year is a significant amount of extra money, amounting to a pay bump of almost 20% above the median wage with only a high school diploma.
Additionally, the higher your level of education, the lower your chances of being unemployed are. Among workers with an associate’s degree, the unemployment rate was 7.1 percent, compared to 8.3 percent for those with some college coursework but no degree and 9.0 percent for those with only a high school diploma.
Additional Resources
Do Online Associate’s Degrees Get Viewed Equally as Someone Who Took the Classes on Campus?
Does an Associate’s Degree in General Education or Liberal Arts Prepare Me for Getting a Job or More Towards Using the Credits to Get a Four-Year Degree?
How Many Years Does It Take to Earn an Undergraduate Degree?
Top 10 Paying Jobs with an Associate’s Degree
15 Affordable Degrees in Dental Hygiene (Associate’s and Beyond)