Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Associate Degrees in Mississippi
10
Meet the Ranking Threshold
8
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$3,743
With a Fully Online Option
5
General Studies Associate Degrees in Mississippi
General studies associate degrees in Mississippi put three community colleges inside the national top seven. Itawamba Community College in Fulton ranks 5th nationally on our list with the highest score in the state at this level, 83.8, Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia ranks 6th at 83, and Hinds Community College in Raymond ranks 7th at 82.3. Eight programs are ranked in all, every one of them a public community college, and 2 more, Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel and Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, appear in the table of other programs.
Itawamba gets its score from a 50% graduation rate, the highest here, 198 degrees a year and $3,420 in resident tuition and fees, the lowest on the list, online. Northwest awarded 481 degrees with a 45% graduation rate at $3,660, and Hinds awarded 800, the most of any program in the state, with a 43% rate at $3,825. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston ranks 14th nationally on a 48% graduation rate at $3,950. The degree names differ by college, from Itawamba's Associate of Arts in General Studies to Northwest's General College.
Tuition and fees run from $3,420 at Itawamba to $4,770 at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, which awarded 410 degrees with a 34% graduation rate. Graduation rates run from 50% at Itawamba to 31% at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead. Three of the eight ranked programs are online: Itawamba, Coahoma and Holmes.
The 8 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Mississippi
The best general studies associate degrees in Mississippi are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Mississippi. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Itawamba Community College
Associate of Arts in General Studies
Mississippi
83.8- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 50%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,420 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 198
About the Program
Sixty hours is the whole degree, and the college splits it into a general education core of 35 to 37 hours and 23 to 25 hours of electives in your program of study. The core is where the reading and the labs live: college algebra or a higher math, plus a lab science you choose from fields such as anatomy and physiology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, microbiology, physics and zoology. The electives are yours to shape, because the college says you build that part of the coursework around your own interests.
Reading the fine print on the core matters here, because several caps decide what counts. No more than three hours of a foreign language can go toward the humanities requirement, history counts in both humanities and social science but only six hours of it can be used across the two, and only four non-academic activity hours count toward graduation. Technical courses don't apply to the degree at all, so a class from a career program won't shorten your path, though it can satisfy the computer competency requirement.
Two requirements sit outside the hour counts. A College Life course has been required for graduation since Fall 2012, and you have to take it within your first 12 hours, so it belongs in your first term rather than your last. You also have to show basic computer competency before you graduate, which the college lets you meet in one of three ways. Passing any online course with a C or higher is one of them, and since the whole degree runs online, that box checks itself once you pass your first course.
Picking your electives means picking a university first. The college tells you to complete the remaining hours as prescribed by the catalog of the university you intend to transfer to, so the 23 to 25 elective hours are chosen from that school's requirements rather than from what looks interesting. Program length is listed as variable, which means the pace is yours to set, but the transfer plan should be settled before the elective hours start.
2
Northwest Mississippi Community College
General College, A.A.
Mississippi
83.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 45%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,660 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 481
About the Program
Electives are the part of the General College, A.A. that you choose. The third semester of the 62 credit hour degree map, in the sophomore year, includes a Humanities Elective and a General College Elective at 3 credits each. The college says a general college degree plan lets you select electives that directly align with transfer requirements for specific majors, pathways or programs at a university, so pick them with a destination in mind.
Half is the ceiling to know about. A four-year institution's acceptance of community college work is limited to one-half of the total degree hours required for graduation in a given curriculum, which means credits beyond that limit won't shorten your bachelor's degree. Checking what counts is your job, because the catalog makes it the student's responsibility to review the Mississippi Statewide Articulation Agreement, called the MATT Transfer Tool, for courses each Mississippi public university accepts.
Subject-specific degree plans exist beside the general map, and you'll find them in myNWCC under the Degree Plans tab and in the MS Articulation and Transfer Tool, so if you already know your major, work from its plan and ask your advisor for the details. The general map, which the catalog calls a recommended guide, places Computer Applications I in the opening semester.
3
Hinds Community College
Associate of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies – Fine Arts & Humanities
Mississippi
82.3- Public
- College graduation rate
- 43%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,825 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 800
About the Program
Arriving without a major is a common starting point, and this degree is built for it. Hinds built it for people who come to college with no particular major in mind but with enthusiasm for multiple fields, and the courses cover physical science, mathematics, composition and literature, art, and multiple social sciences. By the fourth semester of the sample curriculum you're taking Intro to World Religions and Old/New Testament Survey.
Delivery is face-to-face, with select required courses available online, and the degree is listed at Jackson, Rankin, Raymond, Utica and Vicksburg as well as online. So before you plan a term, find out which of your required courses run in which format. Getting in is the easy part, because Hinds has an open-door admission policy and no application fee. Your program contact is the Social Sciences Curriculum Coordinator.
One example the college gives of where this leads is someone fascinated by both art and psychology who combines those interests to earn an advanced degree and work as an art therapist. That path runs through a university, so the transfer step matters. If you're heading to a Mississippi public university, you're told to consult your advisor about course transferability under the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning/Community College Articulation Agreement.
4
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Associate of Arts
Mississippi
79.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 48%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,950 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 156
About the Program
Built as the first two years of a four-year university curriculum, the Associate of Arts asks for 60 semester hours with an overall GPA of 2.0 or above, split into a 38-hour general education core and 22 hours of academic electives. The college organizes that core around four skills it expects every graduate to show, adaptability, communication, problem solving and responsibility, so the categories aren't arbitrary. Academic is the operative word for the electives, because none of the 22 elective hours can be career or developmental classes.
Two semesters of English composition open the core, and the rest of the 38-hour core covers social science, math, natural science, humanities and communication. Social science is 6 hours from economics, psychology, sociology, marriage and family, or human growth and development, humanities is 6 hours from literature, history, foreign language or philosophy, and math is 3 hours of college algebra or higher. Natural science is 8 hours of 4-hour lab courses, and communication is 3 hours of public speaking or interpersonal communication with 2 public speeches, so you'll present either way.
Transferring in works, with limits. Transfer students must earn at least 25 percent of the required semester hours at the college to receive the degree, and credit earned by non-traditional means is capped at 38 semester hours, so a transcript full of outside credit still leaves a real share of the degree to be completed here. Where you complete it has some give, because the college offers credit courses online through the Mississippi Virtual Community College consortium.
Leaving for a Mississippi public university is the path the degree is built for, and articulation agreements are in place with all Mississippi public universities through the state's Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning. The list doesn't stop at the state system, since the college also holds agreements with Alcorn State University, Belhaven University, Columbia Southern University, Middle Georgia State University, Millsaps College, University of South Alabama, University of West Alabama and William Carey University, which means a private college or an out-of-state option can be planned for from the first term.
5
Coahoma Community College
Mississippi
70.3- Public
- Fully Online Option
- HBCU
- College graduation rate
- 41%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,490 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 85
About the Program
Clarksdale, Mississippi is home to Coahoma Community College, a historically Black public community college of 1,633 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 85 associate's degrees, a count at the 54th percentile for size. A 41% graduation rate puts the college at the 68th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Every student pays $3,490 a year in tuition and fees, since the college sets one rate. The degree can be finished entirely online, which suits anyone who cannot move or stop working. On price it does best, reaching the 88th percentile.
6
Holmes Community College
Mississippi
67.3- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 39%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,510 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 82
About the Program
Based in Goodman, Mississippi, Holmes Community College is a public community college with 5,039 students on its rolls. During the most recent year on record it awarded 82 associate's degrees, a count at the 52nd percentile for size. Of the students who start at Holmes Community College, 39% graduate, and that beats 62 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Residents pay $3,510 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $6,210. Nothing in the degree requires attending in person, since it is offered fully online. What lifts it most is price, where it reaches the 88th percentile.
7
Northeast Mississippi Community College
Mississippi
63.4- Public
- College graduation rate
- 34%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $4,770 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 410
About the Program
Northeast Mississippi Community College is a public community college in Booneville, Mississippi that enrolls 3,442 students. It conferred 410 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 87% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. A 34% graduation rate puts the college at the 48th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees are $4,770 a year for residents and $8,050 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 67% of programs at this level. On the number of degrees it awards it does best, reaching the 87th percentile.
8
Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi
58.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 31%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,540 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 109
About the Program
Moorhead, Mississippi is home to Mississippi Delta Community College, a public community college of 1,978 students. Some 109 associate's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 62% of the programs ranked alongside it. Across the whole college, 31% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 37% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $3,540 a year for residents and $6,140 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 87% of programs at this level. What lifts it most is price, where it reaches the 87th percentile.
Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Mississippi
The other general studies associate degrees in Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Baptist College, Laurel | 9 | 80% | $5,925 |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Wesson | 8 | 50% | $4,000 |
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 Mississippi?
A general studies associate degree in Mississippi costs $3,743 a year in resident tuition and required fees at the median of the ten programs, and the eight ranked community colleges span only $3,420 to $4,770. Itawamba is the cheapest at $3,420 and Northeast Mississippi the most expensive at $4,770, with the other six between $3,490 and $3,950. Copiah-Lincoln, in the other-programs table, is $4,000, and Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, a private college, is $5,925. If you live across a state line, Coahoma charges nonresidents its resident rate of $3,490, while Itawamba's nonresident rate is $5,820 and Northeast Mississippi's is $8,050.
For adults the state grant is brand new. UPSKILL, created by the Legislature in 2026, gives tuition help to adult students in eligible community college certificate or associate programs that lead to jobs in Mississippi's priority occupation sectors, for students who are at least 24 and enrolled at least half-time. It pays the balance of tuition and required fees after all other grant aid, plus a $500 annual stipend. The limit is the word eligible: the general studies associate has to be tied to a priority occupation, so ask the college's aid office before you count on it.
Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Mississippi?
Yes, a general studies associate degree transfers in Mississippi when it is awarded as an Associate of Arts, so the degree's name matters. The university board, IHL, and the Mississippi Community College Board share a statewide articulation agreement governing credit transfer between community colleges and public universities, and IHL Policy 517 puts the rule plainly: universities accept all transferable courses with a C or better completed as part of an Associate of Arts from a Mississippi community college. Itawamba, Northwest, Hinds and Gulf Coast all award their general studies degree as an A.A., so their graduates walk in under that policy. If you also complete the 30-hour IHL core with a C or better in each course, you've met the core curriculum requirement at every IHL university.
Grades matter in a way price doesn't: a course below a C isn't covered by the policy, so protect your core grades. And the agreement covers public universities, so private colleges such as William Carey set their own terms.
If you move to a university before finishing, Mississippi's reverse transfer process lets a student who transferred with at least 16 community college credits send university credits back toward the associate degree, and the degree is awarded once you have 62 hours of the required coursework. Ask the community college registrar how to request it.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Mississippi?
Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Mississippi 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 Mississippi
Choosing a general studies associate degree program in Mississippi comes down to the gap between a 50% and a 31% graduation rate, because tuition and fees sit between $3,420 and $4,770 at every ranked college and the cheapest program is also the one that finishes the most students. Itawamba (50%), Gulf Coast (48%), Northwest (45%) and Hinds (43%) complete students at a higher rate than Northeast Mississippi (34%) and Mississippi Delta (31%), and Northeast is the most expensive of the eight. Coahoma ($3,490, 41%) and Holmes ($3,510, 39%) are the mid-priced online options.
If you're going on to a university, the degree name matters, because IHL policy requires public universities to accept all C-or-better transferable courses completed as part of a Mississippi community college Associate of Arts, and Itawamba, Northwest, Hinds and Gulf Coast all award the general studies degree as an Associate of Arts. Online students have three ranked options, and the two largest programs, Hinds and Northwest, are campus based. Ask the college whether its general studies degree is awarded as an A.A., what nonresidents pay if you live across a state line, and which university its general studies graduates most often move to.
If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Mississippi have their own page.