There are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
After analyzing 372 schools in the Southeast Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best associate degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
Better Early-Career Average Salaries
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. Recent students who earned a associate degree in the Southeast Region entered the job market making an average of $34,328 while those in the top 19 schools on our list made an average of $40,794.
Starting Salary ( 28732 to 47139 )
Student Loan Borrowing
Students may also take on a lot of debt while working on their associate so we factor that into our rankings as well.
During their time at college, associate degree seekers from schools in the Southeast Region take out an average of $20,384.
We consider this number in conjunction with average post-graduation earnings to gauge the difficulty associate recipients will have paying back their loans.
Additional Ranking Factors We Use
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Associate Degree Schools ranking.
These factors include things like the educational resources, the demand associated with the school, whether or not the school offers online classes, and the student body caliber - just to name a few.
Are you more interested in the top associate degree schools in your area? Try narrowing this list by location. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Top Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Our 2024 rankings named Southeastern University the best school in the Southeast Region in terms of overall quality for students working on their associate degree. Located in Lakeland, Florida, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 197 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $13,145 after getting their degree.
A rank of #2 on our Best Associate Degree in the Southeast Region list means North Carolina State University is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the large public school handed out 125 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from NC State go into careers with an average salary of $35,537 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $13,167 after getting their degree.
A rank of #3 on our Best Associate Degree in the Southeast Region list means American Public University System is a great place for students working on their degree. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 3,411 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from American Military University is $38,331 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $19,979 in student loans.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Daytona Beach, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach go into careers with an average salary of $52,944 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $18,074 after getting their degree.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, the large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Virginia Tech is $33,436 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $11,000 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $291 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Columbia Southern University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Columbia Southern University is located in Orange Beach, Alabama and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,582 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graduates with a associate degree from Columbia Southern University make an average of $50,040 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $18,519.
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It awarded 3,334 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $32,693 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $26,140 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $160 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Southern Adventist University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Southern Adventist is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegedale, Tennessee. It awarded 142 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $51,554 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $21,250.
Rasmussen University - Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Ocala, Florida. It awarded 1,858 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Rasmussen University - Florida go into careers with an average salary of $39,207 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $25,834. This translates to an average monthly payment of $175 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
ECPI University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. ECPI University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 2,049 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $34,474 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $23,372 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $106 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. JWU Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 206 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $26,084 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $13,982 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $314 for a 10-year repayment plan.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tampa, Florida, the large public school handed out 224 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Central Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Central Florida is a large public school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 416 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida Institute of Technology landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Melbourne, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
Associate students leave the school with an average of $28,312 in student loans.
Florida State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. This large public school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 187 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Marshall University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 113 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Marshall University go into careers with an average salary of $54,506 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $24,420 after getting their degree.
With a ranking of #17, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Northern Virginia Community College is located in Annandale, Virginia and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,023 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a associate degree from Northern Virginia Community College go into careers with an average salary of $37,936 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $14,412 in student loans.
Radford University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Radford is a medium-sized public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 48 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Radford is $48,523 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $30,250 in student loans.
Liberty University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 1,146 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Liberty University go into careers with an average salary of $29,174 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $28,303.
Savannah Technical College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This small public school is located in Savannah, Georgia, and it awarded 370 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a associate degree from Savannah Tech make an average of $35,643 per year during the early years of their career.
Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized public school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 43 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Tennessee State University make an average of $50,394 a year. Associate students leave the school with an average of $20,000 in student loans.
With a ranking of #22, Nicholls State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, the medium-sized public school awarded 141 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Nicholls State University make an average of $54,415 a year. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $18,750.
Ogeechee Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Ogeechee Technical College is a small public school located in Statesboro, Georgia that handed out 233 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Ogeechee Technical College go into careers with an average salary of $33,787 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $8,000.
Lincoln Memorial University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. LMU is located in Harrogate, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $36,407 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $17,323 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $86 for a 10-year repayment plan.
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%.