From Associate to Doctorate: A Complete Guide to College Degree Levels

Considering a college degree? First, you’ll need to understand the types of degrees and college degree levels.

Different degrees set you up for different career paths. For example, you can’t become a psychologist with just a bachelor’s degree — you’d need a master’s or doctorate in psychology. And you usually can’t become an engineer without at least a bachelor’s degree.

Typically, as your university degree level rises, your earning potential increases and the unemployment rate decreases. That’s one more reason it’s important to understand the different types of degrees.

There are many types of degrees you can earn in college. College degree levels can be broken down into two categories: undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees.

Here are the college degrees in order from lowest ranking to highest:

While a doctorate is the highest education level, some fields may stop at a master’s. The phrase “terminal degree” refers to the highest degree in a field.

A professional degree is a type of graduate degree — often a doctorate — that prepares you for a professional career in fields like law and medicine.

Most associate degree programs prepare you to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation. These programs can be found at community and technical colleges and typically last 1-2 years.

An associate degree can also serve as the foundation for a bachelor’s program. You may even be able to transfer some of the credits you earned for your associate degree toward a four-year degree.

Some associate degrees require you to complete an internship or practicum in addition to taking classes. This is particularly common among healthcare and tech degrees.

To apply for an associate degree program, you’ll need a high school diploma or equivalent, like a GED certificate. Some schools may require you to submit standardized test scores, such as the ACT or the SAT, as well.

An associate degree prepares you for vocational, allied health, and support roles. For example, you can become a medical assistant, paralegal, or vet tech with an associate degree.

The highest-paying careers with an associate degree pay over $80,000 per year. See the table below for popular jobs that require associate degrees and their salaries.

Source: BLS

Colleges can offer three kinds of associate degrees:

Arts, humanities, and creative fields typically offer an AA, whereas social sciences and natural sciences often award an AS. Many applied and vocational programs offer an AAS degree.

The type of degree matters if you’re planning to transfer into a bachelor’s program. Colleges normally offer fewer transfer credits for an AAS degree.

A bachelor’s degree program prepares you for many career paths. You’ll generally spend four years earning a bachelor’s degree at a college or university. You’ll take general education classes and courses inyour major. You can also choose a minor.

Some colleges offeraccelerated bachelor’s programs, which take less time — often 2-3 years. Degree-completion programscan also speed up the timeline by awarding you credit for previous college coursework.

You can earn your bachelor’s degree online as well. An online degree from an accredited college meets the same standards as an in-person degree.

You’ll need a high school diploma for admission and may also need to submit SAT or ACT scores.

In diverse industries like business, tech, and education, a bachelor’s degree can prepare you for many entry-level careers. Some of the highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree include roles in finance, management, and tech.

Graduates with a four-year degree can also benefit from high demand in many lucrative fields, like software development and engineering. See the table below for roles you can apply for with a bachelor’s degree and their salaries.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

You can earn a bachelor’s degree in many fields. Some of the most common types of bachelor’s degrees you’ll see include:

The two most popular degrees are a BA and a BS. These degrees cover all arts and sciences majors and some education and engineering degrees.

A master’s degree can help you gain specialized skills and qualify for higher-paying roles. As a graduate student, you’ll work closely with experts in your field to explore advanced topics.

While a master’s degree typically takes two years, some universities offer accelerated one-year master’s programs. You can also enroll in a bachelor’s-to-master’s program to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in less time.

Most master’s programs require students to complete a minimum of 30 credits. Admission and graduation requirements vary depending on the program. For example, many arts and sciences master’s programs require GRE scores, while business programs typically require GMAT scores.

With a master’s degree, you can qualify for management-level careers and specialized roles in industries like healthcare, research, and social services. The highest-paying master’s degrees include MBAs and nurse practitioner degrees.

Learn more about the earning potential and demand for popular master’s degree jobs below.

Source: BLS

Here are some of the most common types of master’s degrees you can earn:

An MA and an MS are among the most popular master’s degrees. Humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences fields typically award an MA or an MS. Other popular options include an MBA and an M.Ed.

In many fields, a doctorate is the terminal degree. There are a few types of doctoral degrees you can earn.

Professional doctorates train you for a professional career. For example, law school and med school are two common professional paths. A Ph.D., on the other hand — the most common type of doctorate — emphasizes theory and research.

In a doctoral program, you’ll take graduate-level seminars and courses, take comprehensive exams, conduct original research, and defend a dissertation in front of a faculty committee.

Most applied doctorates take 3-5 years to earn, while a Ph.D. typically requires 4-6 years of coursework. In certain fields, you can earn your doctorate online.

Some doctoral programs require a master’s degree for admission, whereas others admit applicants with just a bachelor’s degree. You may need to submit standardized test scores depending on the program.

If you want to become a physician,professor, or lawyer, you’ll need a doctorate. In many fields, a doctorate translates into higher salaries. Lawyers, pharmacists, and physicists all report median salaries of over $125,000 per year, according to the BLS.

The following table shows the earning potential and demand for popular doctoral degree jobs.

Source: BLS

A doctorate is the highest education level, but there are still several types of doctoral degrees. Here are some of the most common ones you can get:

A Ph.D. is the most popular doctorate. You can earn a Ph.D. in many arts and sciences fields. Other doctorates take their names from the career path associated with the degree.