Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs in the US by ROI

The 50 highest return-on-investment Associate Degree programs in America — ranked by estimated 20-year net ROI across all majors and states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

#	College	Major	State	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost
1	Bismarck State College Grad rate: 49.6%	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	ND	+$1,937,172	$140,386	$15,274	Full ROI →
2	Contra Costa College Grad rate: 28.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,780,509	$133,295	$14,511	Full ROI →
3	Sacramento City College Grad rate: 28.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,570,087	$123,056	$13,062	Full ROI →
4	Bellingham Technical College Grad rate: 37.7%	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies.	WA	+$1,535,270	$120,252	$14,885	Full ROI →
5	Brazosport College Grad rate: 37.9%	Physical Science Technologies/Technicians.	TX	+$1,519,314	$118,808	$8,423	Full ROI →
6	Ohlone College Grad rate: 55.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,432,968	$115,939	$22,906	Full ROI →
7	Foothill College Grad rate: 58.4%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	CA	+$1,409,996	$114,887	$15,772	Full ROI →
8	Onondaga Community College Grad rate: 24.8%	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	NY	+$1,405,314	$113,727	$14,613	Full ROI →
9	College of Marin Grad rate: 34.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,367,893	$114,267	$23,789	Full ROI →
10	Los Angeles Southwest College Grad rate: 22.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,352,584	$111,106	$14,768	Full ROI →
11	Pierpont Community and Technical College Grad rate: 38.5%	Electrical and Power Transmission Installers.	WV	+$1,339,452	$110,316	$13,434	Full ROI →
12	North Shore Community College Grad rate: 19.4%	Fire Protection.	MA	+$1,329,332	$110,475	$13,204	Full ROI →
13	Los Angeles City College Grad rate: 23.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,321,637	$110,644	$16,176	Full ROI →
14	Yuba College Grad rate: 30.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,277,735	$107,696	$12,200	Full ROI →
15	Santa Rosa Junior College Grad rate: 32.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,257,757	$107,245	$13,649	Full ROI →
16	Baton Rouge Community College Grad rate: 21.0%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	LA	+$1,233,214	$106,371	$16,303	Full ROI →
17	College of Staten Island CUNY Grad rate: 33.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	NY	+$1,199,694	$104,567	$14,084	Full ROI →
18	Unitek College Grad rate: 74.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,184,483	$105,890	$28,357	Full ROI →
19	City College of San Francisco Grad rate: 38.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,177,337	$103,265	$17,007	Full ROI →
20	SOWELA Technical Community College Grad rate: 41.5%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	LA	+$1,153,229	$101,805	$16,402	Full ROI →
21	Skyline College Grad rate: 40.8%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	CA	+$1,140,018	$100,047	$10,461	Full ROI →
22	College of San Mateo Grad rate: 50.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,098,148	$98,961	$11,875	Full ROI →
23	Wharton County Junior College Grad rate: 17.5%	Physical Science Technologies/Technicians.	TX	+$1,082,164	$98,271	$10,406	Full ROI →
24	Los Angeles City College Grad rate: 23.8%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	CA	+$1,079,208	$97,578	$16,176	Full ROI →
25	Solano Community College Grad rate: 33.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,078,185	$97,762	$11,440	Full ROI →
26	State Technical College of Missouri Grad rate: 78.0%	Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians.	MO	+$1,048,290	$96,153	$17,385	Full ROI →
27	College of the Mainland Grad rate: 27.1%	Physical Science Technologies/Technicians.	TX	+$1,046,537	$95,837	$8,014	Full ROI →
28	Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing Grad rate: 66.8%	Bioethics/Medical Ethics.	VA	+$1,045,107	$100,342	$40,954	Full ROI →
29	Chabot College Grad rate: 37.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,040,189	$96,258	$12,953	Full ROI →
30	CUNY Hostos Community College Grad rate: 19.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	NY	+$1,039,345	$95,978	$12,390	Full ROI →
31	Santa Barbara City College Grad rate: 37.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,036,096	$97,093	$18,682	Full ROI →
32	Santa Ana College Grad rate: 29.2%	Fire Protection.	CA	+$1,024,244	$95,342	$11,848	Full ROI →
33	Clackamas Community College Grad rate: 21.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	OR	+$1,020,190	$94,082	$10,725	Full ROI →
34	Pacific Union College Grad rate: 48.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,016,262	$99,360	$47,244	Full ROI →
35	Bismarck State College Grad rate: 49.6%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	ND	+$1,007,752	$94,725	$15,274	Full ROI →
36	American River College Grad rate: 29.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$1,002,247	$94,784	$12,986	Full ROI →
37	CUNY Queensborough Community College Grad rate: 24.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	NY	+$979,134	$93,338	$11,882	Full ROI →
38	Carrington College-Sacramento Grad rate: 51.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$973,375	$97,140	$40,588	Full ROI →
39	Merced College Grad rate: 29.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$970,583	$92,662	$12,722	Full ROI →
40	River Parishes Community College Grad rate: 31.6%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	LA	+$957,569	$92,161	$15,274	Full ROI →
41	Lamar Institute of Technology Grad rate: 27.4%	Physical Science Technologies/Technicians.	TX	+$946,797	$91,800	$14,139	Full ROI →
42	Columbia College Grad rate: 28.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$943,798	$92,056	$19,688	Full ROI →
43	Napa Valley College Grad rate: 31.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	CA	+$936,194	$90,966	$21,563	Full ROI →
44	Cochran School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	NY	+$934,456	$90,529	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Antelope Valley Community College District Grad rate: 30.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$933,612	$90,967	$15,158	Full ROI →
46	Napa Valley College Grad rate: 31.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$932,434	$90,778	$21,563	Full ROI →
47	Santa Rosa Junior College Grad rate: 32.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	CA	+$927,442	$89,737	$13,649	Full ROI →
48	College of the Canyons Grad rate: 43.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	CA	+$927,386	$90,558	$10,243	Full ROI →
49	Lee College Grad rate: 27.5%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	TX	+$924,240	$89,417	$12,050	Full ROI →
50	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College Grad rate: 24.9%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	NY	+$917,901	$90,052	$12,187	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find the Best Associate Degree by State

Browse the highest ROI Associate Degree programs ranked in every US state.