Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Associate Degrees in Connecticut
7
Meet the Ranking Threshold
3
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$39,050
With a Fully Online Option
1
General Studies Associate Degrees in Connecticut
General studies associate degrees in Connecticut are seven programs, five of them at private universities, and the one that awards nearly all the degrees is the one that scores lowest of the three ranked. Connecticut State Community College, the state's single public community college, awarded 624 general studies associate degrees in the latest year at $5,092 in resident tuition and fees, with a 24% graduation rate and a score of 48, 238th nationally on our list. Goodwin University in East Hartford has the highest score at this level, 51.5, 199th nationally, on a 58% graduation rate, 36 degrees and $21,188. The University of New Haven in West Haven is the third ranked program, with a 63% graduation rate, 11 degrees and $45,730.
Four more programs sit in the table of other programs because they awarded fewer than 10 degrees: Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic (5 degrees, 58% graduation rate, $13,292), the University of Hartford (9, 54%, $47,647), Sacred Heart University in Fairfield (3, 73%, $48,460) and Mitchell College in New London (1, 42%, $39,050). Sacred Heart's is the only one of the seven you can finish online.
So the associate level in Connecticut is a choice between one large, cheap public program that finishes a quarter of its students and a handful of small private programs that finish half or more at four to nearly ten times the price.
The 3 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Connecticut
The best general studies associate degrees in Connecticut are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Connecticut. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Goodwin University
Connecticut
51.5- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 58%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $21,188 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 36
About the Program
Goodwin University is a private nonprofit university in East Hartford, Connecticut that enrolls 2,970 students. Some 36 associate's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 30% of the programs ranked alongside it. Its college-wide graduation rate is 58%, the 94th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Residents and nonresidents are both charged $21,188 a year in tuition and fees. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 94th percentile.
2
Connecticut State Community College
Connecticut
48.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 24%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $5,092 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 624
About the Program
Connecticut State Community College is a public community college in New Britain, Connecticut that enrolls 36,315 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 624 associate's degrees, a count at the 92nd percentile for size. Its college-wide graduation rate is 24%, the 17th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Expect tuition and fees of $5,092 a year as a resident and $14,840 otherwise. What lifts it most is the number of degrees it awards, where it reaches the 92nd percentile.
3
University of New Haven
Connecticut
45.2- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 63%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $45,730 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 11
About the Program
University of New Haven is a private nonprofit university in West Haven, Connecticut that enrolls 9,229 students. The program's last federal report shows 11 associate's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 4 in every 100 programs measured here. Its college-wide graduation rate is 63%, the 98th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Residents and nonresidents are both charged $45,730 a year in tuition and fees. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 60% of applicants accepted. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 98th percentile.
Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Connecticut
The other general studies associate degrees in Connecticut awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Hartford, West Hartford | 9 | 54% | $47,647 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic | 5 | 58% | $13,292 |
| Sacred Heart University, Fairfield | 3 | 73% | $48,460 |
| Mitchell College, New London | 1 | 42% | $39,050 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in Connecticut?
A general studies associate degree in Connecticut costs $39,050 a year in tuition and required fees at the median of the seven programs, but that median is Mitchell College's price and almost nobody pays it, because CT State awards 624 of the degrees at this level and charges $5,092. Everything else is private and far above it: Goodwin University is $21,188, Mitchell $39,050, the University of New Haven $45,730, the University of Hartford $47,647 and Sacred Heart $48,460. Eastern Connecticut State, the other public program, is $13,292 and awarded 5 degrees.
At CT State the tuition can disappear entirely. Connecticut funds a tuition-free community college award each year, named the Mary Ann Handley Award, and it is open to part-time students taking 6 or more credits as well as full-time students, provided you began college in fall 2020 or later. That last clause is the one to check: an adult whose first college enrollment came before fall 2020 doesn't qualify and should ask CT State's financial aid office what applies instead. The award is for the community college, so it does nothing to the price at Goodwin, New Haven or Hartford.
Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Connecticut?
Yes, a general studies associate degree from CT State transfers in Connecticut, and the state has three separate guarantees. Since 2011 the community colleges, the four state universities and Charter Oak State College have shared one governing board, and the board's Transfer Tickets are associate degrees built so that only 60 credits remain toward a bachelor's at a Connecticut State University or Charter Oak. Finish one and you can apply to any CT State University or Charter Oak and complete the remaining 60 credits. Ask CT State whether its general studies associate is a Transfer Ticket.
For a private destination, the CT Guarantee moves a community college associate degree to a participating private four-year college in the state with admission guaranteed, worth asking Goodwin, New Haven or Hartford. For UConn, the Guaranteed Admission Program promises CT State students admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences once the associate degree is earned and program requirements are met.
Reverse transfer here names this degree. Under the Board of Regents policy adopted in June 2015, you qualify after transferring at least 45 credits from a single Connecticut community college, and the policy expects most qualifying students to earn an A.S. in general studies. Leave CT State early for Eastern or Central, and this is probably the degree you collect later.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Connecticut?
Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Connecticut pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in Connecticut
How to choose a general studies associate degree program in Connecticut comes down to whether you're buying the degree or the campus, because CT State at $5,092 is the only program here priced like a community college. Its 24% graduation rate is the lowest on the page, and Goodwin's 58% at $21,188 and New Haven's 63% at $45,730 are what the extra money buys. If the Handley Award covers your tuition, CT State costs you fees alone, and the completion gap becomes a question of your own persistence rather than price.
Online study is almost absent at this level: Sacred Heart is the one program you can finish online, and it awarded 3 degrees at $48,460. Before you enroll at CT State, ask whether the general studies associate is a Transfer Ticket and whether you qualify for the Handley Award under the fall 2020 rule. At Goodwin, New Haven or Hartford, ask whether the college takes part in the CT Guarantee, how many of your credits would count if you later moved to a state university, and what institutional aid comes off the sticker price.
If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Connecticut have their own page.