Rankings

Best Online Associate Degrees in Healthcare (2026)

Online associate degrees in healthcare, ordered by the median earnings graduates report one year after finishing.

117 schools with a matching program · Ordered by median earnings, 1 year after graduation · Updated 2026-10-15 · Compare Online Degrees

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How we ranked these

Every school is listed with the same published figures, from the u.s. department of education, college scorecard field-of-study (most recent cohorts, 2025-26) and ipeds completions (2024-25). One figure orders the list: median earnings, 1 year after graduation. Sponsorship is labeled and never changes a school's place.

At a glance

Compare by median earnings, 1 year after graduation and cost

Best Online Associate Degrees in Healthcare (2026), ordered by Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
#	School	Median earnings, 1 year after graduation	Net price	Completion	Earnings, 1 yr	Visit
1	Los Angeles Southwest College	$102,742	$10,836	28%	$102,742	Visit
2	Minnesota West Community and Technical College	$88,218	$11,331	60%	$88,218	Visit
3	Pennsylvania College of Technology	$81,581	$24,761	51%	$81,581	Visit
4	Mesa Community College	$80,755	$10,412	14%	$80,755	Visit
5	Excelsior University	$79,664	n/a	n/a	$79,664	Visit
6	Quincy College	$77,866	$16,530	17%	$77,866	Visit
7	Western Kentucky University	$74,271	$11,789	56%	$74,271	Visit
8	Santa Fe College	$73,388	$11,289	53%	$73,388	Visit
9	University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville	$73,359	$5,456	62%	$73,359	Visit
10	South Arkansas College	$73,048	$5,607	33%	$73,048	Visit

Featured schools

The 10 schools, from the top

1
Rank 1
Top pick
Los Angeles Southwest College
CA · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$102,742
Net price
$10,836
Completion
28%
Earnings, 1 yr
$102,742
Visit school Compare
2
Rank 2
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
MN · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$88,218
Net price
$11,331
Completion
60%
Earnings, 1 yr
$88,218
Visit school Compare
3
Rank 3
Pennsylvania College of Technology
PA · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$81,581
Net price
$24,761
Completion
51%
Earnings, 1 yr
$81,581
Visit school Compare
4
Rank 4
Mesa Community College
AZ · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$80,755
Net price
$10,412
Completion
14%
Earnings, 1 yr
$80,755
Visit school Compare
5
Rank 5
Excelsior University
NY · Private nonprofit
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$79,664
Net price
n/a
Completion
n/a
Earnings, 1 yr
$79,664
Visit school Compare
6
Rank 6
Quincy College
MA · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$77,866
Net price
$16,530
Completion
17%
Earnings, 1 yr
$77,866
Visit school Compare
7
Rank 7
Western Kentucky University
KY · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$74,271
Net price
$11,789
Completion
56%
Earnings, 1 yr
$74,271
Visit school Compare
8
Rank 8
Santa Fe College
FL · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$73,388
Net price
$11,289
Completion
53%
Earnings, 1 yr
$73,388
Visit school Compare
9
Rank 9
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville
AR · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$73,359
Net price
$5,456
Completion
62%
Earnings, 1 yr
$73,359
Visit school Compare
10
Rank 10
South Arkansas College
AR · Public
Median earnings, 1 year after graduation
$73,048
Net price
$5,607
Completion
33%
Earnings, 1 yr
$73,048
Visit school Compare

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Questions about this ranking

How is this ranking made?

One figure orders the list: median earnings, 1 year after graduation. Every rule we applied is published in the method below.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Sponsorship is a separate, labeled section, and paying never changes a school's place in the ranking.

What do the figures cover?

Median earnings are published for the federal program family, not the exact subfield. Net price and completion describe the whole school.

How this ranking is made

Every line below is a rule. None of them can be bought.

If a rule is not written here, we did not apply it.

01
Programs in this list: schools that awarded a credential in healthcare, at the associate level, with the program family reported fully online according to IPEDS Completions (2024-25), matched to the College Scorecard field-of-study file.
02
Ranked by one figure: median earnings one year after graduation for the school's healthcare programs (median earnings, 1 year after graduation), from the College Scorecard field-of-study file.
03
Programs with fewer than 10 graduates reporting earnings are left out because a median from a small group swings too much to compare.
04
The federal file publishes earnings by 4-digit CIP family, not by the precise subfield, so the figure describes the family named above. The online flag is reported at the family level too, so confirm the specific program is taught online with the school.
05
No school can pay to be included or to move up. Sponsored schools, where shown, appear in a separate, labeled section.
06
IPEDS Completions tells us which schools actually award a credential in this field. The College Scorecard tells us the online flag and the published earnings. Both are federal files; neither is for sale.
07
Confirm accreditation, licensure, and whether the program prepares you for a state credential with the school.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study (Most Recent Cohorts, 2025-26) and IPEDS Completions (2024-25); IPEDS release C2024_A. Logos by Logo.dev.

How to read this healthcare list

117 schools award a credential in this field and report the program family as fully online in federal data. The list is ordered by median earnings one year after graduation. No school pays to appear or to move up.

117schools in this field, ordered by one published figure

Top program earnings

$102,742 at Los Angeles Southwest College

Median program earnings

$38,841 one year after graduation

Schools with published earnings

117 of 117 listed

Before you apply

Accreditation in healthcare

Look for institutional accreditation and, where the field has one, programmatic accreditation from the body that covers it.

Credential

What you earn, and what you sit for

Confirm which credential or license the program prepares you for, and whether graduates actually sit for it.

Online reality

What the online flag does and does not mean

Online here means the school reported the program family as fully online to the U.S. Department of Education. The specific subfield you want may still include an in-person piece.

Practical work

What to ask about placements

Ask how any clinical, externship, or practicum piece is arranged for online students before you enroll.

The top school here is Los Angeles Southwest College, with median program earnings of $102,742 one year after graduation. Earnings are reported by federal program family, not by the exact subfield, so treat the figure as a signal about the field and the school, not a promise about any one job.

Written by Lena OkonkwoEducation editor

Reviewed by Marcus HaleData editor

Updated Oct 15, 2026

Terms used on this ranking

Median earningsMedian earnings is the midpoint of the earnings distribution for a defined group of former students, most ofte...Median debtMedian debt is the midpoint of the cumulative federal student loan amounts borrowed by a defined group of stud...Gainful employmentGainful employment is the federal regulatory framework that evaluates whether certain Title IV-eligible progra...Graduation rateGraduation rate is the percentage of full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates who c...

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Advertising disclosure

Some of the schools on this page are advertisers and are clearly labeled as such. They pay us when you click through or request information, and that payment can affect which schools appear and in what order. Net price, graduation rate, earnings, and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and are the same figures we publish for every school.

How we ranked these

Compare by median earnings, 1 year after graduation and cost

Featured schools

The 10 schools, from the top

Los Angeles Southwest College

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Mesa Community College

Excelsior University

Quincy College

Western Kentucky University

Santa Fe College

University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville

South Arkansas College