2023 Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California
A business student has lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Business Degree Central has developed this Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 147 schools in California to see which associate degree programs were the most popular for business students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Pasadena City College the most popular school in California for business students working on their associate degree. Pasadena City College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 1,575 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,212 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Pasadena City College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,596. Associate Degree recipients from Pasadena City College accumulate an average of $11,830 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 45% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Pasadena City College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The excellent associate degree programs at Coastline Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular business schools in California. Coastline Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Fountain Valley, California. It awarded 710 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,170 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Coastline Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,010. On average, associate degree students take out $13,825 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 39% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Coastline Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Mt. San Antonio College is a great place for business students working on their associate degree. Mt. San Antonio College is a large public school located in Walnut, California that handed out 601 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,352 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Mt. SAC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,032. Associate Degree recipients from Mt. SAC accumulate an average of $10,559 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Mt. SAC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 147 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Sierra College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rocklin, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 597 students in 2020-2021.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,156 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Sierra College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,900. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,268 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 49% were women.
Online courses are available at Sierra College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 56% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Los Angeles College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in Monterey Park, California, the large public school awarded 565 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend East Los Angeles College full time pay an average of $1,238 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,012. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,943 in student loans. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since East Los Angeles College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 41% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Chaffey College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Chaffey College is located in Rancho Cucamonga, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 553 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Chaffey College is $1,184. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,960. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,680 in student loans. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Chaffey College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #7, De Anza College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their associate degree. De Anza College is located in Cupertino, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 547 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from California who attend De Anza College full time pay an average of $1,562 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,787. On average, associate degree students take out $13,713 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 48% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at De Anza College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
College of the Canyons came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Santa Clarita, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 511 students in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,146 in tuition and fees if they attend College of the Canyons full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,682. On average, associate degree students take out $13,439 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 52% were women.
College of the Canyons does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 55% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Santa Monica College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for business students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. This large public school is located in Santa Monica, California, and it awarded 465 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,146 in tuition and fees if they attend SMC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,090. Associate Degree recipients from SMC accumulate an average of $13,428 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 50% were women.
One thing to take note of is that SMC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #10, Saddleback College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their associate degree. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 451 students in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,332 in tuition and fees if they attend Saddleback College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,292. Of those students who received their degree, 42% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Saddleback College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 89% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
El Camino College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. El Camino College is a fairly large public school located in Torrance, California that handed out 450 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,144 in tuition and fees if they attend El Camino College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,008. Of those students who received their degree, 44% were women.
Online courses are available at El Camino College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cerritos College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for business students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school situated in Norwalk, California. It awarded 437 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend Cerritos College full time pay an average of $1,346 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,026. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,554 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 61% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Cerritos College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
American River College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. American River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 430 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,093 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 58% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at American River. In 2019-2020 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Diego Mesa College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school located in San Diego, California that handed out 425 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,144 in tuition and fees if they attend San Diego Mesa College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,512. Associate Degree recipients from San Diego Mesa College accumulate an average of $8,288 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 46% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at San Diego Mesa College. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Citrus College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. Citrus College is a public institution located in Glendora, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 424 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,196 in tuition and fees if they attend Citrus College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,804. On average, associate degree students take out $18,558 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 43% were women.
Citrus College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 45% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #16, Orange Coast College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their associate degree. This fairly large public school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 422 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,198 in tuition and fees if they attend Orange Coast College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,398. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,449 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 45% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Orange Coast College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 69% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Grossmont College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. Grossmont College is a public institution located in El Cajon, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 409 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $1,332 in tuition and fees if they attend Grossmont College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,928. Of those students who received their degree, 47% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Grossmont College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Long Beach City College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. Long Beach City College is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 395 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend Long Beach City College full time pay an average of $1,556 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,444. Associate Degree recipients from Long Beach City College accumulate an average of $9,172 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 54% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Long Beach City College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Moorpark College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Moorpark, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 392 students in 2020-2021.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Moorpark College is $1,394. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,398. Associate Degree recipients from Moorpark College accumulate an average of $17,214 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 46% of those degree recipients were women.
Moorpark College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Irvine Valley College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California list. This fairly large public school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 389 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,146 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Irvine Valley College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,826. Of those students who received their degree, 43% were women.
Irvine Valley College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 56% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Fullerton College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree business programs. Located in Fullerton, California, the fairly large public school awarded 372 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Fullerton College is $1,154. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,514. Around 51% of those degree recipients were women.
Fullerton College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 36% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #22, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their associate degree. SBCC is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 355 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at SBCC is $1,232. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,912. Associate Degree recipients from SBCC accumulate an average of $21,459 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 45% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SBCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 59% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #23, Riverside City College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for business students working on their associate degree. Riverside City College is located in Riverside, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 349 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from California who attend Riverside City College full time pay an average of $1,420 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,120. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,247 in student loans. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Riverside City College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 37% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southwestern College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Chula Vista, California, and it awarded 349 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from California who attend SWC Chula Vista full time pay an average of $1,342 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,434. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,239 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SWC Chula Vista. In 2019-2020 about 43% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Diablo Valley College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree business programs. Located in Pleasant Hill, California, the fairly large public school awarded 348 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Diablo Valley is $1,312. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,328. On average, associate degree students take out $12,188 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 44% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Diablo Valley does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 42% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Most Popular Business Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our most popular business schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton, CA |
| 26 | Glendale Community College | Glendale, CA |
| 28 | Bakersfield College | Bakersfield, CA |
| 29 | Los Angeles Valley College | Valley Glen, CA |
| 30 | Cosumnes River College | Sacramento, CA |
| 30 | Fresno City College | Fresno, CA |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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