2025年上升的前12名副学士学位

Enrollment at U.S. community colleges has been on the rise. To continue positive growth patterns, it’s crucial fortwo-year institutions to keep up with both student demand and labor market needs. Colleges that closely monitor market trends know if they’re investing resources in programs that align withevolving workforce needs and student interests. Here are thetopassociate degrees and occupationscapturing student and employer attention this year. WHY YOUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM PORTFOLIO MATTERS The percentage of high schoolstudents planning to go to collegewho were interested in an associatedegree in 2024Source: Hanover Research39% The percentageincrease in inflationfor U.S. colleges anduniversities in 2024+3.4% Source: Commonfund Source: National Center for Education Statistics FASTEST-GROWING DEGREE PROGRAMS TOP OCCUPATIONS FASTEST-GROWING OCCUPATIONS THAT REQUIRE AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE RAPIDLY RISING AREAS OF STUDY FASTEST-GROWING FIELD FASTEST-GROWING DEGREE EMERGING FIELD HEALTHCARE ACCOUNTING & FINANCE AEROSPACE Allied health jobs remain a growingfield for associate degree recipients.Programs in Magnetic ResonanceImaging (MRI) Technology, HealthServices, and Pre-Nursing Studies aregrowing the fastest. Experts expect the U.S. aerospaceindustry to continue to expand.Technician job openings have becomeprime opportunities for associate degreeholders, due to the increased popularityof small satellites and drones. This associate degree combineseducation in accounting andfinance to prepare individuals forcareers in wealth management,accounting, and more. Source: IPEDS ONLINE SEARCH TRENDS In addition to tracking recent associate degree completions, institutions can assess real-time prospectivestudent demand for academic programs by investigating search engine results. Here is a 12-month snapshot ofthe top 10 trending two–year program searches on Google Search in the United States: February 2024–2025 TAKE ACTION Use these additional resources to assess your institution’s programs and investigate new ones: Thinking Strategically AboutWorkforce Alignment inHigher Education 2025 Trends inHigher Education Step-by-Step Guideto a AcademicPortfolio Review The top trendsin store forthis year Guide to planning aportfolio review Tips to build programs thatmeet industry needs Is it time for a new approach toacademic program development? Download ourAcademic Program DevelopmentHandbookto evaluate your institution’s newprogram ideas against four critical market factors.