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An Associate Degree Online: Your Quickest Path to Higher Earnings?

After high school, how can you give your earning power a big boost while investing the least time and money in school? One important option to investigate is getting an associate degree online.

Earn More with an Associate Degree


An associate degree, according to an analysis that appeared on the MSN Money Web site, may be one of the best education investments that you can make. Calculations suggest it can adds roughly $60,000 to $200,000 to your lifetime income, compared to working with a high school degree alone.

How much added income your degree brings can depend upon your choice of major. Liberal arts degree holders tend to earn about $60,000 additional, the study suggests. Social science and business majors add more than that. And computer science and engineering majors are likely to add the most to their lifetime income.

Spend Less with an Associate Degree


What’s more: a two-year associate degree typically costs substantially less than a four-year business or graduate business degree - and you hit the workforce two years sooner. The bottom line: an associate degree could end up being one of the most efficient paybacks in higher education.

Advantages of Online Associate Degrees


Get your associate degree online, and your payback could be even greater. An online degree lets you work at your own pace so you can be more efficient. And an online degree lets you fit studies around your schedule more easily – especially handy if you have family or job responsibilities.

Keep the long run in mind


Will an associate degree online carry as much weight as an online BA or graduate degree when you’re competing for advancement? That’s worth investigating. But in many fields, after a few years on the job, your accomplishments speak more loudly than the details of your online degree.

About the Author

Alan Drummer is a writer and video producer based in Burlingame, California. His specialties include outdoor adventure, travel, technology and advertising and marketing. Trained as an ad agency copywriter, his TV spots for children won some of the industry’s major awards. His features have appeared in publications such as Better Homes and Gardens, the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Magazine, and online at playstation.com.


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