How can I decide if an Associate Degree is right for me, and which type I should get?

An AA or AS degree may be a good choice if your main priority is not just to gain practical job skills, but also to sharpen your academic skills, explore diverse areas of study, and engage in critical analysis. They may also be a good choice if you intend to continue on to get your bachelor’s degree, but you want to save on costs. When you transfer your AA or AS credits to a four-year college, you can get up to half of the required credits for your bachelor’s degree at a fraction of the cost.[2853]

An AAA or AAS degree may be a good choice for you if you want to learn technical skills for a specific occupation, but you also want to have a college degree (not just a certificate). These degrees are also good for you if you want the technical, practical skills to work now, but you think that you might eventually want to get a higher college degree.[2854]

NOTE: In California, all public (state-funded) universities are required to guarantee a number of openings for students transferring from California Community Colleges (one transfer student for every two freshman admitted). This means that you have a good chance of getting into a California State University or a University of California school if you transfer in from a community college.[2855]

  1. 2853

    Olivia Crosby, Associate Degree: Two Years to a Career or a Jump Start to a Bachelor’s Degree, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2002-03.

  2. 2854

    Olivia Crosby, Associate Degree: Two Years to a Career or a Jump Start to a Bachelor’s Degree, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2002-03.

  3. 2855

    Stanford Criminal Justice Center/Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law & Social Policy, Degrees of Freedom: Expanding Opportunities for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Californians (Feb. 2015); see also U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational and Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need ( 2012).