IT degree, IT certificate or bootcamp: which do you need?
An information technology associate degree is a two-year credential in computing support and systems work. Several programs on this page bundle a shorter certificate inside the degree. A certificate is not a degree, and a certificate total is not a degree total. At Tarrant County College, for example, the AAS in Information Technology Cybersecurity requires 60 semester credit hours for completion and contains two certificates.
Keep related programs separate too: information technology support degrees, information systems degrees, computer science degrees, and short coding bootcamps. Brunswick Community College’s program on this page is titled Information Systems. Youngstown State’s degree prepares graduates for “service and support of information systems.” Neither is a general computer science degree, and none of these is a bootcamp.
How the programs compare
Six programs publish a whole-degree credit total, a delivery format, and a per-credit rate matched to a student’s state. Where the price turns on county or district instead of state, only the out-of-state figure is shown. No program publishes a complete list of required fees, so no total cost is shown.
- Florida State College at Jacksonville publishes the A.S. in Computer Information Technology at 60 semester credits with “Online Program: Yes”. Its lower-division per-credit amounts (Florida resident $104.88, non-resident online course $218.55) combine tuition and fees, so they are a base cost rather than pure tuition. The tuition schedule adds $15 per credit hour for all online courses and a $25 one-time application fee. Lab and other charges are not listed there. The program page states a required 50-hour internship is included and does not say whether it can be completed remotely. Confirm the placement before you enroll.
- Southern New Hampshire University publishes the online Associate of Science (AS) in Information Technologies at 60 semester hours. The 2026–2027 online undergraduate rate is $354 per credit, with no out-of-state fee.
- Minnesota State Community and Technical College lists the A.A.S. in Information Technology at 60 credits with Location: Online on its program page. Its detailed cost page publishes an internet-delivery rate of $218.50 per credit. Residents and non-residents pay the same tuition; per-credit activity, association, and technology fees are extra. Ask M State whether the internet rate applies to this degree.
- Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology prints the A.A.S. in Information Technologies at 61 credit hours in its 2025–2026 catalog. It lists the degree as available at OSUIT-ONLINE. Its tuition page publishes $201.60 per credit hour for Oklahoma residents and $388.60 for non-residents, with mandatory university-wide fees included. There is also a $25 per credit hour online-course fee. The tuition page prints no rate year, so confirm the rate for your start term. A waiver of the out-of-state fees for domestic out-of-state students has its own conditions; ask OSUIT whether you qualify.
- Community College of Baltimore County lists the A.A.S. in Information Technology at 60 credits. Its 2026–2027 catalog states it is offered fully online. Its tuition page charges $247 per billable hour for online out-of-state students, plus per-billable-hour services, technology, and activity fees. Maryland’s in-county and out-of-county tiers turn on county; ask CCBC which tier applies.
- Central Texas College prints the A.A.S. in Information Technology (CSI17.AAS) at 60 total hours in its 2026–2027 catalog. It lists the program’s modes as Face to Face, Online, and Hyflex. Before you rely on the online route, ask the college whether every course in the degree plan runs online. The 2026–2027 tuition schedule charges $250 per semester hour for nonresidents. Texas tiers turn on district; ask Central Texas College which rate applies to you.
Each school’s program and fee pages were last checked on October 13 or 14, 2026.
Other ways schools charge
These schools publish a real price for the exact degree. But the price changes with your term load, your residency tier, or your course mix. Read what applies to you before you compare.
| Program | Published price | What changes the price |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College AAS in IT Cybersecurity — 60 semester credits, can be completed fully online | Fall 2026 tuition: $74 Tarrant County, $136 any other Texas county, $315 another state, $315 foreign non-resident, per semester hour | The rate turns on county residency, and a Texas resident is not automatically a Tarrant County resident. Ask the college which county tier you fall in. |
| Ivy Tech AAS in IT Support — 60 credit hours, available fully online | Fall 2025 through Summer 2027 rates: $2,577.11 full-time flat rate per semester in Indiana, $4,967.51 out of state; $178.38 part-time per credit hour in Indiana, $348.97 out of state; $18/credit hour textbooks | Your price depends on how many credits you take each term, not only on how many you need in total. Course-specific fees also vary by course. |
| Rasmussen University online associate in IT — 90 credit hours, 25 courses | Published estimate: $332 per full-time credit × 90 credits = $29,880 tuition, plus $6,375 fees, for $36,255 | This is a program estimate built on a full-time figure, not a rate you can multiply by the credits you still need. |
| San Juan College AAS in IT — completed 100% online | Published rates: $61/credit hour New Mexico, $195 non-resident, $395 international; flat general fee of $91 or $215.25 per term by term load | The general fee is charged per term and changes with term load. The college does not publish a whole-degree credit total on its tuition pages, so ask for it. |
| Kent State University associate in IT — 61 credits, 100% online | Published rates: $355.99 Ohio lower division and $417.30 upper division per credit hour; $365.99 and $427.30 non-Ohio; $3,917.52 flat semester fee for 12–18 credits; $15/credit hour distance learning fee | The program has no single rate: the price depends on course level and on your term load, and the flat semester fee applies only between 12 and 18 credits. |
| Youngstown State University AAS in IT — 2026–2027 catalog | Catalog states 60–65 semester hours depending on electives | A range is not one whole-degree total. Ask the catalog or the program office for the exact number your intake requires. |
| Columbia Southern University AS in IT — 100% online, textbooks included | $278 per credit hour undergraduate rate; $35 technology fee per course; $100 petition to graduate | The technology fee is per course, not per credit, and the college does not state a whole-degree credit total, so ask for both. |
| Southern Maine Community College AAS in IT — 62 credits | 2025–2026 tuition: $96 in-state and $192 out-of-state per credit hour, plus $29 Comprehensive Fee and $13 Student Services Fee per credit hour, $16/year accident insurance | The out-of-state rate applies to students who do not qualify for tuition breaks, so ask the college which breaks you qualify for. The college’s online learning page names its online degrees as Liberal Studies and Business Administration. |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks AAS in IT — minimum 60 credits, can be completed fully online | eCampus tuition and fees page publishes fee names and a tuition table, but the figures load only with JavaScript enabled | The degree requirements and the fully online option are confirmed; the applicable rate is not published in readable form, so ask the university for it. |
| Miami University A.A.S. in Computer and IT | Bulletin states 54–56 credit hours | A credit range cannot be turned into one whole-degree requirement. Ask the bulletin office for the total your program requires. |
| University of Arkansas Rich Mountain AAS in IT | 2026–2027 schedule: $92 in-district, $106 in-state out-of-district, $116 out-of-state per credit hour, plus $80 per credit hour in mandatory per-credit fees | The rate turns on district residency. Border-county waivers also apply to some residents, so ask the college which district tier you fall in. |
| Brunswick Community College AAS in Information Systems | Program page states 64–65 total program credits | A range, and a different subject title from the other programs here. |
| University of the Potomac AS in Information Technology — classes may be taken online or on site | Domestic tuition: a $240 per-credit associate tuition figure under a “Domestic Tuition” category, plus a $123.75 technology fee per 3-credit course | The page does not say which students or locations the “Domestic” category covers, and a class may be taken online or on site, so ask which rate applies to you and whether the whole degree is online. |
| Georgia Military College AS in Information Technology — quarter-credit degree of 90 or 93 quarter hours by maths course, fully online through GMC Online | $169 per credit hour plus a $23 per credit hour resource fee, one rate for every state, plus a $35 application fee | The degree total depends on which maths course you take, so ask which total applies to your intake. Quarter hours do not compare directly with semester-credit programs. |
| Keiser University AS in Information Technology — 60 credit hours, on campus, online or hybrid | Charged per 16-week semester by scheduled credits: $12,908 full time (12–17.99 credits), $9,681 three-quarter time, $6,454 half time, plus $55 application, $145 registration, and a per-semester education fee | The price turns on how many credits you schedule each term, not on how many you still need. The only per-credit rate ($250) covers active duty, reserve, and National Guard students at the Melbourne campus, so ask what your semester load will cost. |
| Maricopa Community Colleges AAS in Information Technology (plan 3196, 2026–2027) at ten colleges including Rio Salado | District schedule: $97 per credit hour Arizona residents, $253 out-of-state distance learning, plus a $15 registration fee each semester and course fees that vary by class | The degree page prints 60–69 credits because the total depends on the certificate cluster you choose, so ask which cluster your intake requires. A range cannot be turned into one whole-degree total. |
| University of the Cumberlands associate option in Information Technology Sciences — online, 36 program-requirement hours | $220 per credit hour online undergraduate rate | The 36 hours are program requirements only, not the degree total — the university requires a minimum of 60 hours for an associate degree — so ask for the full degree plan before you budget. |
| Trine University online associate degree — Associate of Science in Information Systems at 60 hours | $299 per credit hour, with up to 45 credits transferable toward an associate degree | This is an information systems degree, which this page keeps separate from information technology, and the page does not state which year the $299 rate belongs to. An active-military reduction has its own conditions. |
What the bill includes beyond tuition
Tuition is rarely the whole bill in this field. Each charge below comes from the program and fee pages above, listed separately so you can ask about any of them.
- Lab and equipment fees. Florida State College at Jacksonville states that certain classes that require labs may have additional fees for lab supplies, published in the class schedule.
- Software and materials. Tarrant County College lists TCC Plus digital materials and textbook rentals as assessed amounts. Its tuition and fees exclude books and supplies. Columbia Southern states that it provides eTextbooks and integrated learning resources at no additional cost. San Juan College states that its IT AAS core courses are all-inclusive for books and software. Some non-core courses need separate purchases.
- Technology and per-course fees. Columbia Southern charges an undergraduate technology fee per course, not per credit.
- Certification exam costs. Several programs promote industry certifications. San Juan College states that IT certification exam vouchers are available. Rasmussen states that it provides practice exam vouchers and reimburses exam application fees where available. Neither changes the published tuition rate.
- One-time charges. Southern New Hampshire University charges a $100 conferral fee to every student who petitions to graduate. It is charged once, not per credit. Florida State College at Jacksonville states that it does not accept application-fee waivers.
- Online-course surcharges. For non-Ohio residents in a fully online degree, Kent State adds a per-credit surcharge on top of the flat-rate semester fee.
- Repeat-course charges. Tarrant County College adds $60 per semester hour when a course is attempted a third or later time.
More schools to consider
The table above lists eighteen more programs. All state their requirements and published prices, but the price depends on something other than a single per-credit rate.
Two more online programs do not publish current degree requirements, delivery and an applicable price together. Some of their links no longer resolve. Run through the questions below before you shortlist either one.
Questions to ask before you apply
- Ask for the program map that applies to your intake, not a general college catalog page.
- Ask whether any required course has a lab, a software licence, or a scheduled on-campus session. One online course listing does not mean the whole degree is online.
- Ask which residency rule sets your rate. County, district, reciprocity, military, employer, church, and enrollment-load discounts each have their own conditions. Your state of residence alone settles none of them.
- Get a written evaluation of the credits you already have. Then ask how many credits the degree still requires after that evaluation. Transfer ceilings are limits, not guarantees of acceptance.
- Ask for a full mandatory fee schedule for your term, including lab, technology, and one-time charges. An online listing that shows only a per-credit rate is not a complete cost.
- Ask the financial aid office about grants and tuition waivers separately from the published price. Our FAFSA guide explains the application process; the figures here are not aid offers.
Read our methodology for the details behind these figures. Or send a correction if a linked price or program has changed.
Are these schools accredited?
Yes. Every school in this comparison is institutionally accredited, according to the U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator or the school itself (checked October 2026).
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education: Community College of Baltimore County
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges: Central Texas College, Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Higher Learning Commission: Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
- New England Commission of Higher Education: Southern New Hampshire University
Program-specific accreditation, such as for business or counseling programs, is separate; check it on each program's page.
Jobs and pay in information technology
National figures from O*NET OnLine for everyone in each occupation, not graduates of these programs. Some of these jobs require a license, experience or a different degree.
| Occupation | Median annual pay (2025) | Projected growth (2025-2035) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer User Support Specialists | $61,860 | Decline (-1% or lower) |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $76,220 | Slower than average (1% to 2%) |
Sources
Explore the official program pages and price information.
- College Navigator: Central Texas College (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- College Navigator: Community College of Baltimore County (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- College Navigator: Florida State College at Jacksonville (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- College Navigator: Minnesota State Community and Technical College (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- College Navigator: Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- College Navigator: Southern New Hampshire University (accreditation)National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education · Checked 2026-10-15
- Information Systems Associate in Applied Science, Brunswick Community CollegeBrunswick Community College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Information Technology A.A.S. program record (Catalog 2026-2027), Community College of Baltimore CountyCommunity College of Baltimore County · Checked 2026-10-14 · Catalog 2026-2027
- Tuition and Fees (Catalog 2026-2027), Community College of Baltimore CountyCommunity College of Baltimore County · Checked 2026-10-14 · Catalog 2026-2027
- Student Fees, Columbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern University · Checked 2026-10-13
- AS Information Technology program page, Columbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern University · Checked 2026-10-13
- 2026-2027 Central Texas College catalog: Information Technology (CSI17.AAS)Central Texas College · Checked 2026-10-14 · 2026-2027 catalog
- Information Technology Pathway, Central Texas CollegeCentral Texas College · Checked 2026-10-14
- Tuition Schedule for 2026-2027, Central Texas CollegeCentral Texas College · Checked 2026-10-14 · Tuition Schedule for 2026-2027
- Information Technology Sciences, University of the CumberlandsUniversity of the Cumberlands · Checked 2026-10-14
- Computer Information Technology (A.S.) (2153) curriculum, Florida State College at Jacksonville catalogFlorida State College at Jacksonville · Checked 2026-10-13
- Glossary of Academic Terms, Florida State College at Jacksonville catalogFlorida State College at Jacksonville · Checked 2026-10-13
- Computer Information Technology (A.S.) program page, Florida State College at JacksonvilleFlorida State College at Jacksonville · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition and Fees, Florida State College at JacksonvilleFlorida State College at Jacksonville · Checked 2026-10-13 · Fall Term 2018-19 schedule stated as unchanged on the current page
- Official 2026-2027 Catalog, Georgia Military CollegeGeorgia Military College · Checked 2026-10-14 · 2026-2027 catalog
- GMC Online cost, Georgia Military CollegeGeorgia Military College · Checked 2026-10-14
- Information Technology degree, Georgia Military CollegeGeorgia Military College · Checked 2026-10-14
- Information Technology Support program, Ivy Tech Community CollegeIvy Tech Community College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition & Fees, Ivy Tech Community CollegeIvy Tech Community College · Checked 2026-10-13 · Fall 2025 through Summer 2027
- Keiser University Undergraduate Catalog (effective Fall Semester 2026)Keiser University · Checked 2026-10-14 · Effective Fall Semester 2026
- Associate of Science in Information Technology, Keiser UniversityKeiser University · Checked 2026-10-14
- Information Technology Associate of Applied Business program, Kent State UniversityKent State University · Checked 2026-10-13
- Associate in Applied Science in Information Technology (plan 3196), Maricopa Community CollegesMaricopa Community Colleges · Checked 2026-10-14 · Catalog Year 2026-2027
- District tuition and fees, Maricopa Community CollegesMaricopa Community Colleges · Checked 2026-10-14 · 2026-2027 Academic Year
- Computer and Information Technology A.A.S., Miami University bulletinMiami University · Checked 2026-10-13
- Information Technology degrees, Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeMinnesota State Community and Technical College · Checked 2026-10-14
- Detailed Cost, Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeMinnesota State Community and Technical College · Checked 2026-10-14 · 2026-2027
- 2025-2026 OSUIT Academic Catalog (revised 2/17/26)Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology · Checked 2026-10-14 · 2025-2026 (revised 2/17/26)
- Information Technologies degrees, Oklahoma State University Institute of TechnologyOklahoma State University Institute of Technology · Checked 2026-10-14
- Tuition and Fees, Oklahoma State University Institute of TechnologyOklahoma State University Institute of Technology · Checked 2026-10-14
- Associate of Science in Information Technology, University of the PotomacUniversity of the Potomac · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition and Fees, University of the PotomacUniversity of the Potomac · Checked 2026-10-13
- Online Associate's of Information Technology, Rasmussen UniversityRasmussen University · Checked 2026-10-13
- Online programs list and Information Technology AAS page, San Juan CollegeSan Juan College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition & Fees, San Juan CollegeSan Juan College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Online Learning Overview, Southern Maine Community CollegeSouthern Maine Community College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Southern Maine Community College Catalog 2026-2027, Associate in Applied Science Information TechnologySouthern Maine Community College · Checked 2026-10-13 · 2026-2027
- Tuition & Fees, Southern Maine Community CollegeSouthern Maine Community College · Checked 2026-10-13 · 2025-2026
- Credit Hour Definition (Academic Catalog policy), Southern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University · Checked 2026-10-13 · Catalog policy current as read; no edition year stated
- Online Associate Degree in Information Technologies (AS), Southern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University · Checked 2026-10-13
- Transfer College Credits, Southern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University · Checked 2026-10-13
- Online Tuition & Financial Aid, Southern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University · Checked 2026-10-13 · 2026-2027 Online Undergraduate & Graduate Tuition
- Information Technology: Cybersecurity, AAS program page and catalog record, Tarrant County CollegeTarrant County College · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition and Fees, Tarrant County CollegeTarrant County College · Checked 2026-10-13 · Fall 2026 registration
- Spring 2026 Trine Course Catalog: Associate of Science in Information Systems (60 hrs.)Trine University · Checked 2026-10-14 · Spring 2026 catalog
- Online Associate of Science in Information Systems, Trine UniversityTrine University · Checked 2026-10-14
- Information Technology Specialist A.A.S. catalog page and program page, University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks · Checked 2026-10-13
- Information Technology associate program page, University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks · Checked 2026-10-13
- Tuition and Fees 2026-2027, University of Arkansas Rich MountainUniversity of Arkansas Rich Mountain · Checked 2026-10-13 · 2026-2027
- Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology, Youngstown State University Academic Catalog 2026-2027Youngstown State University · Checked 2026-10-13 · 2026-2027 Edition
- O*NET OnLine: Computer Network Support Specialists (15-1231.00)O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration · Checked 2026-10-15 · 2025 wage data; 2025-2035 projections
- O*NET OnLine: Computer User Support Specialists (15-1232.00)O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration · Checked 2026-10-15 · 2025 wage data; 2025-2035 projections
- University of the Cumberlands tuitionUniversity of the Cumberlands · Checked 2026-10-12
Our methodology