by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 129,869 general studies students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 100,454 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,806 and $19,336 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate” ranking looked at 696 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general studies programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree general studies students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend El Centro College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 7,386 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 696 schools in the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Tarrant County College District landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 4,817 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about General Studies at Tarrant County College District
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Antonio College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate. San Antonio College is a fairly large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 2,530 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Vista College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. Northwest Vista College is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,322 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Studies at Northwest Vista College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Houston Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate. Houston Community College is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2,293 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about General Studies at Houston Community College
Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking, coming in at #6. Utah Valley University is a large school located in Orem, Utah that handed out 1,991 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on General Studies at Utah Valley University
American Public University System ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 1,712 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Studies at American Military University
Austin Community College District came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. Austin Community College District is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,654 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Read more about General Studies at Austin Community College District
With a ranking of #9, Weber State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. Weber State University is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,549 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Suffolk County Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. Selden, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s general studies degrees to 1,405 students in 2020-2021.
Full Suffolk County Community College General Studies Report
Northern Virginia Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. This large school is located in Annandale, Virginia, and it awarded 1,351 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Northern Virginia Community College General Studies Report
Blinn College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. Blinn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brenham, Texas. It awarded 1,292 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Salt Lake Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. Salt Lake Community College is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 1,290 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Studies at Salt Lake Community College
Austin Peay State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 1,284 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about General Studies at Austin Peay State University
Collin County Community College District ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. Collin County Community College District is a large school located in McKinney, Texas that handed out 1,244 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Collin County Community College District General Studies Report
Community College of Rhode Island landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. CCRI is located in Warwick, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,233 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Full Community College of Rhode Island General Studies Report
Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,176 diplomas to qualified associates’s general studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, Palo Alto College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. Palo Alto College is a fairly large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 1,159 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jacinto Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Pasadena, Texas, and it awarded 1,087 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Central New Mexico Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. CNM is a fairly large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 1,046 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Central New Mexico Community College General Studies Report
Portland Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking, coming in at #21. Portland Community College is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,040 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Macomb Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking, coming in at #22. Macomb Community College is located in Warren, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,036 associates’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on General Studies at Macomb Community College
Hinds Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. This fairly large school is located in Raymond, Mississippi, and it awarded 1,036 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
South Texas College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate list. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 969 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Utah State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Studies Major for an Associate ranking. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 938 associates’s general studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Odessa College | Odessa, TX |
| 52 | South Plains College | Levelland, TX |
| 53 | New Mexico State University - Dona Ana | Las Cruces, NM |
| 54 | Monroe Community College | Rochester, NY |
| 55 | Northeast Mississippi Community College | Booneville, MS |
| 56 | Yavapai College | Prescott, AZ |
| 57 | Schoolcraft College | Livonia, MI |
| 57 | Chemeketa Community College | Salem, OR |
| 59 | Kilgore College | Kilgore, TX |
| 60 | Coastal Alabama Community College | Bay Minette, AL |
| 61 | Mt. Hood Community College | Gresham, OR |
| 62 | Arkansas State University - Beebe | Beebe, AR |
| 63 | Community College of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 64 | Southern Union State Community College | Wadley, AL |
| 65 | Alvin Community College | Alvin, TX |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Arizona Western College | Yuma, AZ |
| 67 | Erie Community College | Buffalo, NY |
| 68 | The University of Texas at Brownsville | Brownsville, TX |
| 69 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
| 70 | Tulsa Community College | Tulsa, OK |
| 70 | Snead State Community College | Boaz, AL |
| 70 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX |
| 73 | Oakland Community College | Bloomfield Hills, MI |
| 74 | College of the Mainland | Texas City, TX |
| 75 | Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham, AL |
| 76 | LDS Business College | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 77 | John Tyler Community College | Chester, VA |
| 78 | North Idaho College | Coeur d’Alene, ID |
| 79 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 80 | Crowder College | Neosho, MO |
| 81 | Brazosport College | Lake Jackson, TX |
| 82 | Lee College | Baytown, TX |
| 83 | Snow College | Ephraim, UT |
| 84 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR |
| 85 | Cisco College | Cisco, TX |
| 86 | Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg, PA |
| 87 | Northeast Texas Community College | Mount Pleasant, TX |
| 88 | East Central College | Union, MO |
| 89 | Ranger College | Ranger, TX |
| 90 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Coastal Bend College | Beeville, TX |
| 92 | Wallace State Community College, Hanceville | Hanceville, AL |
| 93 | Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 94 | Farmingdale State College | Farmingdale, NY |
| 94 | South Louisiana Community College | Lafayette, LA |
| 96 | Owens Community College | Perrysburg, OH |
| 96 | Delgado Community College | New Orleans, LA |
| 98 | Bristol Community College | Fall River, MA |
| 99 | Eastern Arizona College | Thatcher, AZ |
| 100 | Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 100 | Midland College | Midland, TX |
| 102 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 103 | Hill College | Hillsboro, TX |
| 104 | Northwestern Michigan College | Traverse City, MI |
| 104 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, LA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
