Online Computer Programming Associate degree
49 programs — 13 with federal cost data, the rest suppressed for small class sizes and listed after them, ordered by median debt against median earnings — lowest first.
Data last updated
Field
Hide for-profit colleges(4 programs)What our data shows about for-profit collegesAcross the creative fields on this site, students at private for-profit institutions borrow 27% more than students at public ones ($29,332 against $23,033) and earn 15% less four years after completing ($38,361 against $45,110).The combined effect is severe. Median debt at a for-profit equals 70% of a graduate’s annual earnings, against 47% at a public institution. And 10% of for-profit programs leave graduates owing more than they earn in a year — against 1% of public ones. Ten times the rate.This is a pattern across 212 for-profit programs, not a handful of outliers, and it holds in every creative field we cover. It does not mean no for-profit program is worth taking: some appear high in our best-value rankings, and this filter hides those too. It means the odds are materially worse, and the burden of proof sits with the school.Figures are medians computed from the College Scorecard and IPEDS data behind every table on this site.
| Institution | Programcredential and delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranken Technical CollegeMO · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | $12,000 | $64,032 | 19% |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeIA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | $14,112 | $70,139 | 20% |
| Community College of Allegheny CountyPA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | $12,483 | $61,693 | 20% |
| Southeast Technical CollegeSD · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | $12,000 | $48,859 | 25% |
| Pittsburgh Technical CollegePA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | $14,499 | $43,000 | 34% |
| ECPI UniversityVA · Private for-profitRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $20,824 | $52,761 | 39% |
| Full Sail UniversityFL · Private for-profitRequest information → | Computer Programming, OtherAssociate degree · Fully onlineOffers: Audio Production (BS) · Music Production (BS) · Recording Arts (BS) · Live Event Production (BS) · Music Business (BS) · Film Production (BFA) · Game Design (BS) · Game Development (BS) · Computer Animation (BS) · Graphic Design (BS) · Digital Marketing (BS) | $32,375 | $59,102 | 55% |
| Amarillo CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | — | $48,409 | — |
| Dallas CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | — | $61,663 | — |
| James A. Rhodes State CollegeOH · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | — | $60,066 | — |
| Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityMO · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | — | $73,172 | — |
| Seminole State College of FloridaFL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | — | $79,878 | — |
| Vincennes UniversityIN · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | — | $53,224 | — |
| Broward CollegeFL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| California Institute of Arts & TechnologyCA · Private for-profitRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology-National CityCA · Private for-profitRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington CollegeIL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Clark State CollegeOH · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Coastal Carolina Community CollegeNC · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| College of Southern NevadaNV · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Diablo Valley CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Foothill CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Herzing University-KenoshaWI · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Hinds Community CollegeMS · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Holmes Community CollegeMS · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Houston Community CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Hudson Valley Community CollegeNY · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Jackson CollegeMI · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Lakeshore Technical CollegeWI · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Los Angeles Valley CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Luna Community CollegeNM · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityKS · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Mott Community CollegeMI · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Mt Hood Community CollegeOR · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, OtherAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Mt San Antonio CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Navarro CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| North Dakota State College of ScienceND · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Northampton County Area Community CollegePA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Northern Wyoming Community College DistrictWY · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Northland Pioneer CollegeAZ · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Oakland Community CollegeMI · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Ohlone CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Palm Beach State CollegeFL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Polk State CollegeFL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Scottsdale Community CollegeAZ · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| South Florida State CollegeFL · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Springfield Technical Community CollegeMA · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming, Specific ApplicationsAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| St Philip's CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| West Valley CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Computer ProgrammingAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
How we are paid: StudyCreative earns revenue when readers ask to be connected with a school. No school pays to appear in these figures, to change them, or to be left out of them. Full disclosure.
One thing these figures cannot tell you
Earnings and debt are reported by the federal government at a four-digit program level, so a figure shown against “Computer Programming” covers every related program at that institution rather than one named degree. That pooling also spans delivery: where a school runs the same credential both online and on campus, the federal figures combine both sets of students. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. Full methodology.