2027 Best Online Associate Degree Programs With Weekend Classes

Business Programs

An online business AA or AS can suit students planning to transfer into a bachelor's program; an AAS may emphasize immediate workplace skills. Accounting, management, and marketing courses often lend themselves to weekend study because assignments can be completed asynchronously.

Compare the schedule of required courses, not just electives, and ask whether exams have fixed times. If a bachelor's degree is your goal, confirm that business and general education credits will apply to your intended transfer program.

Healthcare Programs

Healthcare administration and medical billing programs may offer online coursework that fits weekend study. Programs preparing students for hands-on clinical roles are less likely to fit a weekends-only schedule: labs, supervised practice, or externships may occur on weekdays.

An AAS focused on employment may also transfer differently from an AS designed for further study. Check the specific occupation's certification requirements and ask who arranges any placement before choosing a program.

Information Technology Programs

IT associate programs commonly cover networking, programming, cybersecurity fundamentals, or technical support. Remote labs can make weekend practice possible, but group projects, live demonstrations, and proctored assessments may have set times.

An AS may support transfer; an AAS may concentrate on job-ready technical work. Compare the curriculum with entry-level job postings and ask whether any advertised certification preparation includes the cost of the certification exam.

Nursing / Pre-Nursing Programs

Online pre-nursing coursework may fit a weekend study plan, but it is not the same as an online nursing degree. An associate degree in nursing generally includes supervised clinical hours and often on-site labs; placement times may not be available on weekends.

Nursing admission can also be selective even at a college with broad general admission. Ask about clinical schedules, programmatic accreditation, state board approval, and eligibility to take the NCLEX-RN. Earning the degree alone does not grant an RN license.

Criminal Justice Programs

Online criminal justice AA and AS programs can provide a transfer route, while some AAS programs emphasize applied coursework. Reading, writing, and case-based assignments may be manageable on weekends, but internships or fieldwork can impose weekday hours.

A criminal justice degree does not itself qualify someone for a law enforcement position; agencies set separate hiring, training, and fitness requirements. Check transfer agreements if your eventual goal requires a bachelor's degree.

Psychology / Counseling Programs

A psychology AA or AS is usually a foundation for transfer, not a qualification to practice as a counselor or psychologist. Online introductory courses may work well for weekend study, though research assignments and exams still have deadlines.

If your goal is licensed counseling, map the full educational and supervised-experience pathway before enrolling: an associate degree alone is insufficient. Check whether the courses satisfy your intended bachelor's program's major requirements, not merely its elective requirements.

These are associate degree programs delivered partly or entirely online that allow students to attend scheduled classes on weekends or complete coursework during weekend hours.

Those are different arrangements: an asynchronous course lets you choose when to study but usually has fixed deadlines, while a live weekend class requires attendance at a specified time. Neither guarantees that every required course is available on weekends.

The degree's purpose matters as much as its schedule. This comparison shows which credential types commonly support transfer or workforce entry; individual college curricula can differ.

Southern New Hampshire University, Purdue University Global, and Rio Salado College are institutionally accredited colleges with online associate degree offerings. They are reasonable places to begin a schedule comparison, but an online offering is not evidence that a particular major currently has live weekend classes - or that every requirement can be completed on weekends.

Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by NECHE; Purdue University Global and Rio Salado College are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

There is no dependable, school-wide answer to "Which college has weekend classes?" because sections change by term. Request the current and upcoming schedules for your exact major, including prerequisites and general education.

Ask an advisor to identify required live meetings, weekday-only sections, labs, exams, and placements in writing. If weekend-only attendance is essential, do not treat a program as a match until the college confirms a workable path through graduation.

Students typically use a learning platform to view lessons, participate in discussions, submit assignments, and take assessments. Asynchronous does not mean deadline-free: a course may open every week but require submissions on Sunday night.

Synchronous courses meet at set times, which may or may not include weekends. Hybrid programs add campus sessions, while health and other applied programs may require local placements.

For a working adult, the most useful schedule is one that remains workable across the whole degree. Check whether required courses rotate between terms, whether part-time students can keep progressing, and how far in advance exam and placement dates are announced. A Saturday class can be convenient; an asynchronous course may be more resilient when work shifts change.

Many colleges require an application and evidence of high school completion or its equivalent. Placement, prerequisite, and transfer-credit rules vary. Some majors - particularly nursing and allied health - have a separate, competitive admission process involving specified courses or other requirements; admission to the college does not mean admission to the major.

Ask when your previous coursework will be evaluated and whether accepted credits fulfill degree requirements, rather than appearing only as electives. If application costs are a concern, compare online colleges no application fee, then confirm the current policy and your chosen program's eligibility directly with admissions.

A roughly 60-credit associate degree can take about two years with a suitable full-time course load, but weekend-focused students often enroll part time. Prerequisites, courses offered only in certain terms, accepted transfer credit, and clinical schedules can change the timeline. Ask for a term-by-term plan based on your available hours and previously earned credits.

Shorter terms may help with scheduling without shortening the entire degree. Colleges offering 6 week courses still require students to complete the program's credits and sequenced requirements. Compare the weekly workload before choosing an accelerated format: fitting coursework into weekends may become harder, not easier.

Published tuition is only one part of the price. The College Board's 2024-25 in-district public two-year average of $4,050 covers tuition and fees for an academic year, not the full cost of earning a degree. Your price may differ substantially if you are out of district, study part time, or choose a different institution.

Build a completion estimate using the credits you still need, your applicable tuition rate, mandatory online and program fees, books or software, and any travel, lab, exam, or placement expenses.

Then compare financial aid eligibility, scholarships, employer tuition assistance, and payment plans. A lower per-credit rate may not be the lower-cost option if more credits remain or required visits create additional expenses.

Associate programs usually combine general education - such as writing, mathematics, and social science - with major coursework. A business student might study accounting; an IT student might complete networking labs; a nursing student must also complete clinical education. The exact mix affects whether weekend study is realistic.

Review the degree audit or course map, not just a list of interesting electives. Mark every required course with a live meeting, supervised activity, prerequisite, or limited-term offering. This catches a common mistake: choosing a flexible first semester without checking whether later courses can fit the same schedule.

Career options depend on the major and on requirements beyond the degree. Business study may support applications for administrative or bookkeeping roles; IT study can provide a foundation for technical support. Healthcare and public-safety employers may require separate credentials, training, or screening. An associate degree is not a promise of employment or a particular wage.

For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median annual wage of $93,600 for registered nurses. That is the median for the occupation - not the expected earnings of associate degree graduates.

Becoming an RN also requires meeting state licensing requirements and passing the licensing exam. Counseling and psychologist roles generally require substantially more education and supervised training; even listings of best 1 year PhD programs online should not be mistaken for a shortcut around profession-specific licensure requirements.

The best choice is the accredited program whose complete schedule, degree purpose, and total cost fit your goal. Compare several programs using the same criteria, and get answers for your specific major rather than relying on a general "online" label.

If you are still deciding on a field, a guide to the easiest associates degree can help you think about course demands - but perceived ease should not outweigh career fit or transferability.

Before committing, work through these checks with an admissions or program advisor:

1. Confirm institutional accreditation and, for a regulated occupation, relevant program approval and state eligibility.
2. Request a term-by-term course plan showing live meetings, deadlines, labs, placements, and any weekday requirements.
3. Obtain a transfer evaluation and confirm which credits satisfy your degree or intended bachelor's program.
4. Calculate tuition and mandatory expenses for the credits you must actually complete.

A red flag is an advisor who cannot clarify required in-person hours or suggests that "online" automatically means weekends-only. If no workable schedule exists for a required course, choose another program or plan for that constraint before enrolling.

• Cost of Attendance (Budget) | 2025-2026 Federal Student Aid Handbook https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook/2025-2026/vol3/ch2-cost-attendance-budget
• Definitions - Transfer Credit Ohio https://transfercredit.ohio.gov/educational-partners/educational-partner-initiatives/articulation-transfer-policy-policy/articulation-transfer-policy-definitions
• [PDF] Standards for Academic Associate Degree Programs | texas.gov https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/agency-publication/miscellaneous/standards-for-academic-associate-degree-programs/
• Understanding College Costs | Federal Student Aid https://studentaid.gov/resources/prepare-for-college/students/choosing-schools/consider-costs
• 100% Online Programs | Georgia Piedmont Technical College https://www.gptc.edu/100-online-programs
• Admissions Process | Community College of Philadelphia https://www.ccp.edu/admission-aid/admissions/admissions-process
• Credit for Prior Learning | CUNY SPS https://sps.cuny.edu/academics/credit-prior-learning
• Online | Coastline College https://www.coastline.edu/locations/online.php
• Paying for College - Central Arizona College https://centralaz.edu/paying-for-college/
• What is the time commitment for different degree options? | Penn State World Campus https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/news-and-features/what-is-the-time-commitment-for-different-degree-options