Associate or bachelor’s: the shortcut that can become half of the long road

Same name, two different designs

Picture⁠​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠ two hypothetical friends who enroll at the same community college on the same day. One chooses an Associate of Science, the other an Associate of Applied Science in surgical technology. Two years later both graduate with an associate degree, and only one of them is halfway to a bachelor’s.

Neither made a mistake, if each knew which design they had chosen. The details vary by state and college, but Montana’s public university system spells out the difference unusually clearly.

• AA and AS: built to transfer. They carry a large share of general education. In Montana’s system, graduates of these degrees need no more introductory general education after transferring within the system.
• AAS: built for work. Montana calls the Associate of Applied Science “ordinarily considered a terminal degree,” meant to prepare students for immediate employment. About two-thirds of its classes are in a technical field, such as surgical technology or plumbing, with “related instruction” in place of general education.

Terminal here means the line ends by design. That is about purpose, not quality. Montana says AAS credits must be accepted in transfer as electives, yet warns students not to expect them to meet bachelor’s requirements.

There is a way back, though. Some Montana campuses offer a Bachelor of Applied Science that counts most or all of an AAS as its first two years and moves general education into the third and fourth. The system calls it an “upside down” bachelor’s. If you already hold an AAS, ask universities whether they offer a degree built this way.

Most transfer plans stall before the transfer

About⁠​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠ eight in ten students entering US community colleges say they want a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the Community College Research Center at Columbia University. National Student Clearinghouse tracking tells a harder story. Fewer than a third transfer to a four-year college within six years. Of those who do, slightly less than half earn a bachelor’s within six years of starting at community college.

Yet among students who transferred to a public university, about seven in ten earned a bachelor’s within six years of transferring. The pattern is clear: getting across is the hard part, and once there, most finish, though often later than they planned. Students who had already earned an associate degree or certificate when they transferred were also more likely to still be enrolled a year later.

Four signs the road really continues

1. A degree designed for transfer. Choose an AA, AS or a named transfer degree, not an AAS, if a bachelor’s is the goal.
2. An articulation agreement. A written agreement setting out how credits move from one college to another. A GAO review found that students can struggle to move credits between schools that have neither an agreement nor a statewide policy.
3. A statewide pathway, where one exists. California’s Associate Degree for Transfer is a well-known model. Students who complete its 60 semester units of required coursework are assured a place in the California State University system, the community college system says, though not at a particular campus or in a particular major. They enter as juniors.
4. The receiving university’s word, in writing. Ask how each course applies to the major you want, not just whether it transfers.

The starting college matters too. The same GAO review found that students moving between public colleges lost an estimated 37 percent of their credits on average. Those moving from for-profit colleges to public ones lost about 94 percent.

When the shorter road wins

On⁠​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠ average, a bachelor’s pays clearly more than an associate. But the field you work in can matter as much as the length of the degree. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that 28 percent of associate degree holders earn more than half of all bachelor’s holders.

Look at where they work. In the same study, associate holders earned the most in health practice, computer and mathematical, and architecture and engineering occupations. In each, their typical lifetime earnings came close to, or matched, those of bachelor’s holders overall.

The reverse warning applies too. Nearly a third of workers with only a high school diploma out-earn half of associate holders. An associate in a low-paid field adds little.

So an AAS can be the better choice when it leads straight into a skilled, well-paid technical or health occupation that you want, and a bachelor’s would add years without opening a different door.

The same choice outside the US

The⁠​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠ UK builds a similar two-step route. A Higher National Diploma or foundation degree is 240 credits, and a top-up of the remaining 120 credits can lead to a 360-credit honours degree. In Australia, many higher education providers offer associate degrees that lead to a full bachelor’s, which typically takes three years. Our bachelor’s degree guide explains how these levels compare across the UK, US and Australia.

Everywhere, the same question decides it: does the shorter qualification feed into the longer one, in writing, at the institution you want?

The bottom line

If⁠​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠ your goal is a bachelor’s, choose an associate only when you can name the university and major it feeds and have written confirmation of how your credits will apply. If your goal is a skilled job that an AAS trains for, in a field that pays, the AAS may be the quicker, better choice. If you are unsure, pick the transfer degree, because it keeps more doors open. A finished associate is a place you can stop; half a bachelor’s is not.