It's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Best Associate Degree Colleges in New York ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision.
Our analysis looked at 70 schools in New York to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
Early-Career Salaries Are Higher
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving a associate degree from the school. While associate degree recipients from schools in New York earn an average starting salary of $33,256, those from the top 21 school on this list made an average of $35,702.
Starting Salary ( 18951 to 44825 )
Average Student Debt
In addition to average starting salaries, we also consider the average amount of student loans that students take on while pursuing their associate degree.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients from schools in New York have accumulated an average of $16,406 in student debt.
The average amount taken out in student loans for graduates at a particular school may be crippling for those who earn less than average wages after graduation.
Other Ranking Factors in Our Methodology
We also analyze a number of other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt when coming up with our yearly Best Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Several other factors - such as how much the school spends on educational resources, the demand of the school, the availability of online learning options, and the student body caliber - go into our rankings.
If you'd rather work on your associate degree in a specific area of the country, you might be interested in our rankings by place. Also, check out our other college rankings to help you with your college decision.
Our analysis found New York University to be the best school for associate degrees in New York in this year’s ranking. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from NYU is $60,040 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $20,000 in student loans.
The excellent associate degree programs at The New School helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in New York. New School University is located in New York, New York and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from New School University make an average of $45,807 a year. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $18,250.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fashion Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 in New York on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. FIT SUNY is located in New York, New York and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,925 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from FIT SUNY make an average of $20,231 a year. Associate students leave the school with an average of $11,833 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $276.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. ESF is a public institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Excelsior University. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. Located in Albany, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,266 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Excelsior University is $53,610 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $13,053.
SUNY Empire State College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, the medium-sized public school awarded 515 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from SUNY Empire make an average of $42,296 a year. Associate students leave the school with an average of $17,638 in student loans.
Molloy College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking, coming in at #7. Rockville Centre, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Molloy is $70,960 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $29,443 in student loans.
Yeshiva University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Yeshiva is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 537 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Flushing, New York, and it awarded 167 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a associate degree from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology make an average of $37,485 per year during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $17,625 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $143.
With a ranking of #10, Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. BMCC is located in New York, New York and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,478 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from BMCC is $29,068 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $8,812 in student loans.
Metropolitan College of New York landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. MCNY is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $23,750.
Monroe College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. This medium-sized private for-profit school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 883 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Monroe College go into careers with an average salary of $27,236 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $15,791 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $117 for a 10-year repayment plan.
LaGuardia Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Long Island City, New York, the fairly large public school awarded 3,071 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from LaGuardia go into careers with an average salary of $31,451 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $8,573 after getting their degree.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #14 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. Rochester Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 93 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Touro College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Touro is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 268 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Touro go into careers with an average salary of $34,594 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $12,896 in student loans.
Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Paul Smith’s College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Paul Smiths, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $30,422 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $12,765 in student loans.
Plaza College landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Plaza College is a small private for-profit school located in Forest Hills, New York that handed out 237 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Plaza College is $29,202 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $19,725.
Suffolk County Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. This large public school is located in Selden, New York, and it awarded 3,440 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Suffolk County Community College is $31,889 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $10,224 after getting their degree.
Nassau Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Nassau Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Garden City, New York. It awarded 2,496 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $33,894 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $12,092.
New York City College of Technology did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking, coming in at #20. City Tech is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 1,443 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from City Tech make an average of $36,358 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $11,240 after getting their degree.
SUNY Cobleskill came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Located in Cobleskill, New York, the small public school handed out 175 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from SUNY Cobleskill make an average of $38,379 a year. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $12,000 after getting their degree.
Bryant & Stratton College - Online landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. Bryant & Stratton College - Online is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orchard Park, New York. It awarded 721 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Bryant & Stratton College - Online make an average of $29,049 a year. Associate students leave the school with an average of $24,754 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $123 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
With a ranking of #23, College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. CSI is a public institution located in Staten Island, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 736 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $20,036 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $12,785 in student loans.
With a ranking of #24, Rockland Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in New York list. Rockland Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Suffern, New York that handed out 844 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Rockland Community College is $25,041 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $10,630 in student loans.
Queensborough Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in New York ranking. QCC is a public institution located in Bayside, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,366 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $22,695 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $9,738.
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%.
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