2027 Best Online Two-Year Degrees for Single Parents

Business Programs

An online business administration AA or AS can suit parents who want transferable coursework in accounting, management, and communications. An AAS in accounting or business may focus more directly on entry-level office work. Business courses are often available without labs or clinical placements, but group projects and scheduled presentations can still create childcare conflicts. Choose a transfer agreement if a bachelor's degree is the goal; choose a career-focused curriculum if you need practical workplace skills sooner. Neither route guarantees a management job.

Healthcare Programs

Health information management, medical billing, and healthcare administration associate programs may offer more online coursework than hands-on clinical fields. They can suit parents seeking administrative work, although internships, proctored exams, or scheduled classes may still apply. Check whether the curriculum prepares students for a credential an employer values; a degree and a professional certification are separate qualifications. Ask which courses are fully online and whether any required placement can be completed near home.

Information Technology Programs

An IT, computer support, or cybersecurity associate degree can combine online coursework with labs completed through software or remote systems. It may fit parents who can study after children are asleep, provided technical support and lab access are available then. Compare an AAS focused on workforce skills with an AS designed for transfer. Entry-level jobs may also value demonstrable projects and industry certifications; a cybersecurity degree alone does not usually qualify someone for an experienced security role.

Nursing / Pre-Nursing Programs

Pre-nursing AA or AS coursework may be available online, but it does not itself qualify someone to practice as a registered nurse. Associate degree nursing programs typically require in-person labs and supervised clinical placements, sometimes on fixed shifts. Nursing admission may be selective even at a college with general open admission. For parents, the deciding question is often whether dependable childcare and transportation are available for clinical hours. Confirm state-board approval, any relevant nursing accreditation, clinical locations, and eligibility to seek licensure before enrolling.

Criminal Justice Programs

Online criminal justice AA or AS programs often emphasize transferable coursework in law, public policy, and writing; an AAS may emphasize applied procedures. The format can work well for parents who need evening study time, but a degree does not replace academy training, background checks, physical standards, or other requirements for sworn positions. Ask whether the program supports your intended job or bachelor's pathway rather than assuming every criminal justice career requires this major.

Psychology / Counseling Programs

An online psychology AA or AS is usually a transfer pathway, not a qualification to practice counseling or psychology. It can be a flexible choice for parents planning further study in behavioral health, social services, or another field. Check whether required courses will apply to the intended bachelor's major. Licensed counseling and psychologist roles require substantially more education and other state-specific steps, so parents seeking faster workforce entry should compare this route with career-focused associate or certificate programs.

The best choice depends on what you need the degree to do. Business and IT are strong options to investigate for online scheduling; health information programs can connect coursework to administrative healthcare roles; nursing is a better fit only when clinical attendance is feasible. Psychology is primarily a starting point for further education. These are degree-field recommendations, not a ranking of colleges or a claim that every program in a field is fully online.

The comparison below highlights the trade-offs most likely to change a single parent's decision. Availability and requirements vary by school, so use it to narrow your search before checking a specific catalog.

If you already know a bachelor's degree is necessary for your goal, compare the associate-to-transfer route with a best accelerated bachelor's degree online option. The better route depends on accepted credits, total cost, and a course load you can sustain - not the advertised speed alone.

Published tuition is only the starting price. Request a program-specific estimate using your residency, expected course load, and likely time to completion. The College Board's public two-year average cited above is a benchmark, not a quote for any particular online program.

These cost categories belong in your comparison because a lower tuition rate can be offset by fees, travel, or an extra term.

• Tuition and mandatory fees: $4,050 was the national average published in-district price at public two-year colleges in the College Board's 2024 report; online and out-of-district rates may differ.
• Additional program costs: Budget for books, software, equipment, background checks, and any clinical travel; ask each school for its current amounts.
• Completion costs: Include childcare, transportation, and the cost of courses that must be repeated or do not transfer.

Part-time enrollment may make each week manageable but add terms and associated expenses. If you need a quicker route into a specific job, compare the full associate degree with 6-month certificate programs that pay well. A shorter credential makes sense only if it meets the entry requirements for work you actually want.

Online associate degrees can be accredited and eligible for federal financial aid, but neither status follows automatically from the word "online." Verify the college's institutional accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation database, then confirm that the institution and your intended program participate in federal aid. For regulated fields, also check the relevant program approval or accreditation and your state's licensing rules.

Submit the FAFSA and review the school's aid offer rather than assuming the maximum grant applies to you. Grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans have different eligibility rules; borrowing creates a repayment obligation. If you plan to transfer, get written confirmation from the destination institution that credits will count toward your intended major, not merely be accepted as electives.

Asynchronous does not mean deadline-free. Recorded lectures may let you study around bedtime, while assignments and exams still have fixed due dates. Synchronous online classes require attendance at set times. Hybrid programs add campus visits, and nursing or other clinical programs can require shifts at an approved site.

Ask for a sample schedule covering the required major courses - not just general education classes. Check whether part-time students can take courses in the right sequence, how often required classes run, whether exams are proctored at set times, and whether a missed clinical shift can be made up. A predictable part-time schedule may be more useful than accelerated terms that require an unmanageable weekly workload.

Most colleges ask associate applicants for a high school diploma or equivalent and an application; schools may use transcripts or placement measures to determine which courses come first. Requirements vary, and admission to the college is not always admission to a selective major. Nursing and some allied-health programs may require prerequisites, minimum grades, health documentation, or background checks.

Before applying, ask when you can enter the major, whether prerequisites are offered online, and how previous college courses will be evaluated. An early transfer-credit evaluation can reveal both the credits you still need and whether an advertised two-year timeline is realistic for your circumstances.

Associate degrees commonly combine general education - such as writing, mathematics, and communication - with field-specific courses. An AA or AS often emphasizes courses intended for transfer, while an AAS often emphasizes occupational preparation; always inspect the actual curriculum because labels alone do not establish where credits will apply.

Programs commonly require around 60 credits, but prerequisites, labs, internships, and clinical placements can add requirements or constrain course order. Full-time students with the right course sequence may finish in about two years; a parent studying part time may need longer. Ask for a term-by-term plan based on your available study hours rather than relying on the degree's "two-year" label.

Career options depend on the major and on requirements beyond the degree. Business or health information coursework may support applications for administrative roles; IT can help build skills for technical support. Nursing graduates must meet licensing requirements before practicing as registered nurses. Psychology often functions as preparation for a bachelor's degree rather than direct entry into counseling.

Compare local job postings with the curriculum: note the experience, software, certifications, and schedules employers request. For some entry-level goals, easy certifications to get may be worth comparing with a longer degree, but verify that employers recognize the specific credential. An associate degree can broaden options without guaranteeing a job, remote work, or a particular shift.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a May 2024 median annual wage of $93,600 for registered nurses. That is a wage for people working in the occupation - not an expected salary for new associate degree graduates. Registered nurses must obtain a state license, and pay varies by location, experience, employer, and shift.

Job outlook also varies sharply across these fields and the occupations within them. Rather than treating a degree title as a salary forecast, identify a realistic entry-level role, check current local openings, and compare its requirements and pay with the program's total cost. In fields such as IT and business, experience and additional credentials can matter as much as the associate degree when pursuing higher-level roles.

Start with two or three colleges offering the field you want. Confirm institutional accreditation, then request the full curriculum, required in-person activities, a part-time course sequence, a transfer-credit evaluation, and a current cost estimate. Ask specifically whether advising, tutoring, and technical help are available during the hours you can study.

Watch for claims that an "online" nursing degree needs no clinical attendance, that all credits will transfer, or that career services guarantee employment. Ask the receiving college or licensing board to verify consequential claims independently. If your long-term education goal extends beyond a bachelor's degree, even to one of the most affordable online doctoral programs, plan each transfer step separately; no associate program can guarantee admission or credit far down that path.

• [PDF] Guidance on Clinical Practice and Supervision | ca.gov https://docs.ctc.ca.gov/Document/Download/30526
• Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways Tool https://transfercredit.ohio.gov/initiatives-upd/ohio-guaranteed-transfer-pathways/ogtp-tool
• 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
• Online Learning Programs | wichita.edu https://www.wichita.edu/academics/oal/online_programs/index.php
• Financial Aid for Moms - Resources for Going Back to School | UMass Global https://www.umassglobal.edu/blog-news/financial-aid-moms-resources-going-back-school
• How Online Courses Work & Resources - ASU Online https://asuonline.asu.edu/students/courses/
• [PDF] The Essential Clinical Experience Handbook - College of Education https://www.education.txst.edu/.assets/office-of-educator-preparation/office-of-educator-preparation/clinical-experience-resources/handbook/Clinical%20Experience%20Handbook
• Transfer Credit and Prior Learning Assessment - Antioch University https://www.antioch.edu/admission-aid/admissions/transfer-credit-and-prior-learning-assessment-auo/
• Online Student Placement Process | Office of Clinical Partnerships https://clinicalpartnerships.asu.edu/online-student-placement-process
• Tuition in Detail - One Stop Student Services https://onestop.utk.edu/billing-payments/tuition-detail/