An associate's degree often takes two years to earn, as opposed to four years for a bachelor's degree. The shorter time to attain an associate's degree might be more desirable for working adults who wish to pursue higher education but have time and schedule constraints. A bachelor's degree could be more desirable for students fresh out of high school who wish to have a four-year, full-college experience of dorm life, participation in sports and clubs and the opportunity to take a variety of classes in addition to classes that relate to their majors.
Associate's degrees are typically much more inexpensive to attain than bachelor's degrees. When factoring in out-of-state tuition costs for selected four-year universities, it is possible to save more than $80,000 by pursuing an associate's degree, according to Community College Review. However, plenty of college students receive full and partial scholarships that offset hefty tuition costs. There are also public state universities that are fairly inexpensive for students who are residents of that particular state. Private four-year universities tend to be significantly more expensive than public ones.
An associate's degree can be much easier to attain for nontraditional students than a bachelor's degree. Flexibility and the ability to take a minimum amount of classes, or online courses, can make an associate's degree more attractive for adults who already work full-time jobs or are raising children. Traditional four-year universities often require students to take a certain amount of classes each semester and are less flexible with allowing students to take time off between semesters.
Studies have shown that employers sometimes choose job candidates with bachelor's degrees over candidates with associate's degrees. This can be an important deciding factor in choosing a type of postsecondary education, especially after the economic recession that began in 2008. There are, however, numerous professions that require only an associate's degree and still pay off for prospective job seekers. Among them are computer technicians, dental hygienists and radiation therapists, which all pay more than $50,000 a year on average, according to Community College Review.