Is an associate degree considered an undergraduate degree?

Question:

Is an associate degree considered an undergraduate degree?

Perfect School Search

Answer:

In general, a degree is at the undergraduate level if it is an associate's or a bachelor's degree. As the two lower degree types offered at higher education institutions, associate's degree and bachelor's degree programs are considered undergraduate because they mostly consist of introductory college-level coursework, so students in these types of degree programs are establishing their academic foundation (i.e., These students are learning the essentials and basics within their respective field of study.). On the other hand, master's and doctoral degrees are considered graduate degrees. Students in these advanced programs are usually expected to take what they learned as an undergraduate and apply that knowledge and skill towards more rigorous coursework and even practical in-field application (if the program demands it). In addition to the more advanced coursework, graduate students are also usually held to much higher standards than their undergraduate counterparts. For example, undergraduate students in associate's degree programs may need to maintain a GPA of 2.0 to earn their degree, whereas many graduate students (particularly in prestigious doctoral programs) must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (or higher) to be eligible for graduation.

For more information about the differences between undergraduate and graduate degrees, check out this article.

Next: View Schools

Popular Schools

The listings below may include sponsored content but are popular choices among our users.

  • Which subject are you interested in?

  • Which subject are you interested in?

    • MSN to DNP - Executive Leader
    • MSN-DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
    • Doctor of Health Sciences
    • DNP - Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • MSN to DNP
    • Master of Science -DNP Path Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
    • MS in Health Education
    • MS in Psychology - Forensic Psychology
    • Master of Science in Legal Studies
    • MS in Psychology
    • MBA
    • MS in Psychology - General Psychology
    • Undergraduate in Legal Studies
    • BS in Communication
    • Bachelor of Science in Psychology
    • BS in Organizational Management - Decision Management
    • BS in Communication - Business Fundamentals
    • BS in Communication - Digital Communication
    • AAS in Business Administration - Business
    • Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice
    • Associate of Applied Science in Legal Support and Services
    • AAS in Business Administration
    • Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Development
    • Associate of Applied Science in Human Services
    • Human Services Certificate in Child and Family Services
    • Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate
    • Certificate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology Graduate
    • Professional Focus + Google UX Design Certificate
    • AWS Cloud Technologies
    • Project Management

    What is your highest level of education completed?

    • Masters in Psychology
    • Masters in Dispute Resolution
    • Masters in Legal Studies
    • Masters in Human Resources
    • Masters in Business Administration
    • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis

    Which subject are you interested in?

    • DME: Music Education
    • LLM: International Legal Studies
    • EDD: Curriculum & Instruction
    • EDD: Curriculum & Instruction: Elementary Education
    • EDD: Curriculum & Instruction: Middle Grades Education
    • EDD: Curriculum & Instruction: Secondary Education
    • MA in Communication
    • MS in Criminal Justice
    • MA: Medical Sciences: Biopsychology
    • MA: Music Education: Music Studies
    • MBA: American Legal Studies
    • MS: Criminal Justice: Public Administration
    • BS in Psychology
    • BS: English & Writing: Journalism
    • BS: Strategic Communication: Social Media Management
    • BED: Business Education 6-12
    • BED: English Education 6-12
    • BED: Middle Education: Math
    • AA: Business
    • AA: Education (Non-Licensure)
    • AA: Psychology
    • AA: Philosophy, Politics, & Economics
    • AAS: Medical Office Assistant
    • AA: Accounting
    • GRAD CERT: Strategic Communication
    • GRAD CERT: Fundamentals of Communication
    • CERT: Criminal Justice
    • CERT: Journalism Education
    • GRAD CERT: Advanced Criminal Justice
    • GRAD CERT: Applied Communication Studies

    What is your highest level of education?

    • Master of Communications
    • Master of Health Administration
    • Master of Health Informatics
    • Master of Public Administration
    • Masters in Project Management
    • Master of Information Technology Management
    • Digital Marketing and Analytics Certificate
    • Project Management Certificate

    What is your highest level of education completed?

  • Are you located in the U.S.?

    • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance

    Are you located in the U.S.?

    • Computer Science Masters Campus
    • BS in Film (Campus)
    • MS in Game Design (Campus)
    • Entertainment Business Masters - Campus
    • Entertainment Business Masters with a Sports Management Elective Track - Campus
    • Computer Science Masters - Online
    • BS in Sportscasting (Campus)
    • Media Communications Bachelors - Campus
    • Simulation and Visualization Bachelors - Campus
    • BS in Software Development
    • Creative Writing Bachelors - Campus
    • Film Bachelors - Campus
    • Sportscasting Associates - Campus
    • Sportscasting Associates - Online
    • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online
    • User Experience Bachelors - Online

    What is your highest level of education?