According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over half of the degrees earned online are A.A. degrees, but there are many different types of 2-year degrees to choose from. You can get a basic Associate of Arts degree (A.A.), an Associate of Applied Science degree (A.A.S.), an Associate of Science degree (A.S.), or an Occupational/Applied degree that is designed to help you enter the workforce immediately. Here are some of the best online degrees from reputable programs that you can get in two years or less.

1. Associates Degrees in Nursing from Kaplan

It doesn’t matter what level of education you are at, there are 2-year degrees that will get you to the next level.  One of the fastest growing and most financially solid careers is in nursing, and you can start by getting an Associates Degree in nursing from Kaplan. They even offer a 2 year Associate of Applied Science in Medical Transcription program, which trains students to type doctor’s dictation tapes quickly and accurately.

2. Associates Degrees in the Arts from Westwood College

If you want to start a career in something you enjoy, Westwood offers the classes you’ll need to be successful in a variety of fun and creative jobs. Westwood College offers online AA degrees in Graphic Design, Animation, Game Art, Interior Design, Game Software Development, and Fashion Merchandising. Some of these programs also offer Bachelors degrees, which can be completed in as little as 3 years (that’s 1 year less than most programs).

3. Associate Degrees in the Sciences from the University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix does online science and IT degrees better than most. They even offer 2-year degrees in social sciences, like Psychology and Human Resource Management. But, for the scientifically minded, they offer 7 different degrees in Information Technology (think programming, web design and databases), 3 degrees in Healthcare Administration, and coursework in biology and environmental sciences.

4. The A.A. Degree almost guaranteed to get you a job

DeVry University is ranked number 1 in Best Online Universities, and one of the top reasons is that they have a 90% job placement success rate within six months of students graduating from one of their programs. DeVry offers A.A. degree programs in some of the most in-demand fields, such as Accounting, Electronics & Computer Technology, Health Information Technology, Network Systems Administration and Web Graphic Design. The marketability of those degrees paired with support for DeVry’s career center specialists almost guarantees you a job after graduation, even in a down economy.

5. MBA from Benedictine University

For those who have their AAs and BAs, it might be time to add on another letter: MBA. The two-year online MBA program at Benedictine University offers concentrations in subjects that could apply to any line of work and make you more marketable: Entrepreneurship & Managing Innovation, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, International Business, and Healthcare Administration. If you want to earn your MBA in the fastest time possible, ask about the Accelerated MBA program, in which students take two online classes at a time and can complete the program in a single year.

The best things in life are free; the guy who came up with this gem probably never knew a thing about going to college. A college degree is easily one of the best things in life you can get – but it ain’t free. You’ve got to pay through your nose or get someone else to pay through theirs so that you can hold the degree certificate. A degree, whether associates, bachelors or higher is your key to better things in life – such as better earning potential, job security, attractive retirement benefits, and a healthier sex life…okay just kidding about the last one.

But what if it were possible to get a college degree for free, believe it or not it is indeed possible to become a degree holder without spending a dime. Here we list for you ten tips that can help you get a college degree for free.

1. If you have relevant work experience then you can fulfill credit requirements for a given degree type and be awarded one for free or with far less classroom attendance. Your previous education and jobs can exempt you from classroom courses. Community service in different fields, for example teaching or mentoring, is a great way to collect credit hours that can be used toward getting a degree.

2. Look for tuition waivers. Usually these waivers are need-based and directed towards communities that need support to boost their representation in education. Twenty four states in America have enacted laws to provide full tuition waivers to Native American students.

3. The Lorain County Community College runs several programs that cover complete tuition fees for up to two years. Also there are programs that let you accumulate college-credit via free education programs, add enough of these credits and you can get a college degree free or very cheap.

4. A basket of grant monies from different sources can cover your college tuition fees and other expenses if you are eligible for these. Financial need is the overriding criterion and getting approved for the Pell Grant will open the doors to a whole lot of other grants.

5. Tuition reimbursement is another option, it’s not exactly free upfront but many employers will reimburse the cost of education for their employees. Some may actually foot the cost of your college degree; of course you may have to use your newly acquired academic skills for the company’s benefit for a given period of time.

6. Check with your college financial aid department for your options regarding aid. There are always some scholarships and grants that slip into obscurity over time and lie unclaimed year after year. Add those to your bouquet of financial aid and you could get a well-rounded package that will see you through college for free.

7. If you are looking for free college degrees then remember they won’t come to you, you have to go to them and you’ve got to know where to find them. So start your search early, the internet is a great source and many scholarship search sites exist that can help you with your search for free money for education.

8. If you want to get some free education, then look for a college that wants you rather than spending energy competing for funds at places where there is competition. A fellowship is the best type of scholarship that you can hope to get. Not only are your tuition fees get waived, you actually get paid a stipend to stay with the college. Of course, there is a small catch. For most fellowships you will have to serve as faculty for some time.

9. Try Upromise. It’s a novel idea under which you can save a substantial amount of money that can be used for your college expenses. It’s basically a rewards network and its proceeds are meant to be used for your education. If you start early, you save more. Probably not enough for a free college degree but it can definitely contribute to that end.

10. Finally, there are many scholarships and grants out there that target communities. If you belong to a certain community such as African-American, American-Indian, Asian-American, then your chances of gathering enough funds for a free college degree are quite good.