Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Associate Degrees in Indiana
6
Meet the Ranking Threshold
2
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$29,159
With a Fully Online Option
1
General Studies Associate Degrees in Indiana
General studies associate degrees in Indiana are a private-college product: six programs at six private colleges, no community college among them, and only two meet the ranking threshold. Oakland City University holds the top score at 55.2, 164th in the national associate ranking, on a 66% graduation rate, 52 degrees a year and $27,150 in tuition and required fees for 2023-24. Indiana Wesleyan University's National and Global division in Marion is the other ranked program, scoring 33.6 on 23 degrees a year and a 35% graduation rate at $9,480, and it's the one associate at this level you can finish online.
The four below the threshold awarded 2 to 7 degrees each. Indiana Wesleyan's residential Marion campus awarded 7 at $31,168 with a 67% graduation rate, the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne 4 at $35,420 with 55%, and Trine University in Angola and Calumet College of Saint Joseph in Whiting 2 each, Trine graduating 64% at $35,600 and Calumet 23% at $22,650. So the level runs from $9,480 to $35,600 a year and from 23% to 67% completion, and the cheapest program is also the ranked program with the lower graduation rate.
The 2 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Indiana
The best general studies associate degrees in Indiana are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Indiana. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Oakland City University
Indiana
55.2- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 66%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $27,150 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 52
About the Program
Oakland City University is a private nonprofit university in Oakland City, Indiana that enrolls 640 students. The program's last federal report shows 52 associate's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 40 in every 100 programs measured here. Its college-wide graduation rate is 66%, the 98th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Every student pays $27,150 a year in tuition and fees, since the institution sets one rate. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 83%, which leaves room for a rejection. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 98th percentile.
2
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global
Indiana
33.6- Private nonprofit
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 35%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,480 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 23
About the Program
Marion, Indiana is home to Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global, a private nonprofit university of 14,331 students. The program's last federal report shows 23 associate's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 19 in every 100 programs measured here. Of the students who start at Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global, 35% graduate, and that beats 51 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees are $9,480 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Nothing in the degree requires attending in person, since it is offered fully online. On the graduation rate of its college it does best, reaching the 51st percentile.
Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Indiana
The other general studies associate degrees in Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, Marion | 7 | 67% | $31,168 |
| University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne | 4 | 55% | $35,420 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Whiting | 2 | 23% | $22,650 |
| Trine University, Angola | 2 | 64% | $35,600 |
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 Indiana?
A general studies associate degree in Indiana costs $29,159 a year in tuition and required fees at the median program for 2023-24, with the six programs spread from $9,480 at Indiana Wesleyan University's National and Global division to $35,600 at Trine University. There's no resident rate to chase, because every program is private and charges everyone the same. Oakland City University, the top-scoring program, is $27,150. Calumet College of Saint Joseph is $22,650, Indiana Wesleyan's Marion campus $31,168 and the University of Saint Francis $35,420.
The state grant written for the people most likely to want this degree is the Adult Student Grant, which the Commission for Higher Education designed for working adults starting or completing an associate degree, bachelor's degree or certificate, at up to $2,000 for the academic year. You can hold it part-time as long as you're enrolled in at least six credit hours in any academic term. The eligibility rules name Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University in the course-of-study requirement, so confirm with the Commission that a private college program qualifies before you budget around it.
Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Indiana?
A general studies associate degree in Indiana transfers on the receiving college's terms rather than under a state guarantee, because Indiana's transfer rules are written for its public institutions and all six programs at this level are private. In 2012 the legislature passed Senate Enrolled Act 182, establishing a Statewide Transfer General Education Core of at least 30 credit hours, now called the Indiana College Core. A student who completes it at one state institution and transfers to another won't be required to complete the core again. It's organized into two categories, Foundational Intellectual Skills and Ways of Knowing, with three competency areas each.
For a whole associate degree, the state uses Transfer Single Articulation Pathways, competency-based degree tracks designed for transfer from a public two-year to a public four-year program. Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University build TSAP associate degrees that include the 30 Indiana College Core credits, and completing one is not a guarantee of admission to a particular public institution or academic program.
If you earn a general studies associate at Oakland City or Indiana Wesleyan and want to finish at a public university, ask that university how it reads a private transcript against the College Core, and ask the private college whether its general education courses map to the core's competency areas. Get the answer in writing.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Indiana?
Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Indiana 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 Indiana
Choosing a general studies associate degree program in Indiana comes down to whether you'll pay $27,150 a year for a 66% graduation rate or $9,480 for a 35% one, because those two programs, Oakland City University and Indiana Wesleyan's National and Global division, are the only ranked choices. Oakland City is a campus program in Oakland City with 52 degrees a year. Indiana Wesleyan National and Global is online and awarded 23. The four unranked programs don't change the picture much: Trine graduates 64% and Saint Francis 55%, but at $35,600 and $35,420, and each awarded 4 or fewer degrees.
Ask three things. Whether the college accepts the Indiana College Core as a block or reads a transcript course by course, since the state rule doesn't bind a private college. Whether the Adult Student Grant can be used there, given that its eligibility page names Ivy Tech and Vincennes. And at Indiana Wesleyan National and Global, what share of part-time adult students finish, because the 35% graduation rate is the college's figure for first-time, full-time students and the program is built for working adults.
If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Indiana have their own page.