Both associate degree and associate’s degree are correct English, and associates degree with no apostrophe is the version to avoid. Which of the two accepted forms you use depends on the style guide you follow.
The Associated Press Stylebook and most college style guides drop the possessive and write associate degree. Merriam-Webster lists associate degree as the main entry and shows associate’s degree as a less common variant. Federal education data goes the other way, and the National Center for Education Statistics counts associate’s degrees conferred each year. For a resume, either accepted form is safe as long as the whole document stays consistent.
Associate degree or associate’s degree: which one is correct?
If you are choosing between associate or associate’s degree, both of these are generally acceptable:
- Associate degree (the AP Stylebook form, and the one used in college catalogs and program descriptions)
- Associate’s degree (common in resumes, cover letters, job ads and general writing)
What is not correct when you mean one credential:
- Associates degree (missing the apostrophe, and no major style guide accepts it)
- Associates’ degree (plural possessive, which would describe a degree belonging to several associates)
Quick cheat sheet
| Use this | Avoid this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Associate’s degree | Associates degree | Missing apostrophe |
| Associate degree | Associates’ degree | Incorrect plural possessive |
| Associate of Arts (AA) | Associates in Arts | Not the proper degree name |
| An associate degree in nursing | An Associate Degree in Nursing | Lowercase unless it is the formal degree name |
What the style guides say
Every source below keeps the apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. They differ only over the two-year credential.
| Source | Preferred form | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| AP Stylebook, academic degrees entry | associate degree | “there is no apostrophe in associate degree”, while bachelor’s and master’s keep theirs |
| Chicago Manual of Style Q&A | lowercase either form | “lowercase the degree (including the field) in running text and whenever it’s used generically” |
| SUNY Purchase editorial style guide (Chicago based) | associate degree | “there is no apostrophe in an associate degree (no possessive)” |
| Palm Beach State College style guide (AP based) | associate degree | “there is no possessive in associate degree” |
| Merriam-Webster | associate degree | Main entry associate degree, variant associate’s degree |
| APA Style | lowercase either form | A “down” style, lowercase unless a rule says otherwise |
| National Center for Education Statistics | associate’s degree | Federal tables report associate’s degrees conferred |
Newsrooms and college communications offices follow AP style, which is why associate degree dominates official college copy. Campus guides built on Chicago, such as the SUNY Purchase style guide, land in the same place. Federal statistics keep the possessive, so both spellings look normal to readers.
Palm Beach State College tells staff there is no possessive in associate degree and that its two-year awards are the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science. Florida colleges use Associate in Arts where many other states use Associate of Arts, so copy the wording your college prints on the diploma.
Why people get confused about the apostrophe
- Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree take an apostrophe in every major style guide, so the two-year credential looks like it should match.
- The plural of the noun associate is associates, so the apostrophe is easy to drop when typing quickly.
- Colleges print the formal name, such as Associate of Applied Science, which carries no possessive at all.
Both accepted forms show up in professional settings. Avoid the missing apostrophe and use one form consistently across your resume, LinkedIn profile and applications.
Is associate’s degree capitalized?
Not in an ordinary sentence. Both accepted forms stay lowercase when they refer to the credential in general, and capitals belong only to the formal name of a specific degree.
The Chicago Manual of Style answers this question directly and tells writers to lowercase the degree, including the field, in running text and whenever it is used generically. APA Style reaches the same result through its general rule, calling itself a “down” style in which words stay lowercase unless a rule says to capitalize them.
Lowercase in a normal sentence:
- She finished an associate’s degree in business last spring.
- The posting asks for an associate degree in accounting or equivalent experience.
Capitalized as a formal degree name:
- Associate of Arts
- Associate of Science
- Associate of Applied Science
- Associate in Arts (the Florida wording)
The education block of a resume is the usual exception, because the entry there is the formal degree name.
How to write an associate degree on a resume
Recruiters scan the education block for the degree, the school and the date. Listing the formal degree name settles the apostrophe question before it comes up.
Option 1: Use the formal degree name (best for clarity)
This is the cleanest format and the closest to a standard resume:
Education
Associate of Science in Nursing
XYZ Community College, City, State
Graduated May 2026
Other examples:
- Associate of Arts in Business Administration
- Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology
Option 2: Use associate’s degree (most common in everyday writing)
If you want to include the word degree, this is the most familiar form:
Associate’s degree in Business Administration, XYZ Community College (May 2026)
Option 3: Use associate degree (AP style, no apostrophe)
This matches how colleges and news outlets write it:
Associate degree in Business Administration, XYZ Community College (May 2026)
If you have not graduated yet
You can list it like this:
Associate of Arts in Psychology, XYZ Community College
Expected May 2026
Education lines to avoid
- Associates degree in Business Administration (missing apostrophe)
- AAS degree in Information Technology (the word degree after the abbreviation is redundant)
- Associate’s of Science (the possessive does not belong inside a formal degree name)
Associate degree abbreviations and short forms
The short forms carry no apostrophe at all, which makes them a tidy way around the question:
- AA (Associate of Arts)
- AS (Associate of Science)
- AAS (Associate of Applied Science)
Periods are a style choice. The SUNY Purchase guide, following Chicago, sets abbreviated degrees without periods, while Palm Beach State writes A.A. and A.S. Either pattern works, used the same way throughout.
One rule travels with every abbreviation. Do not add the word degree after it, since the abbreviation already contains it. The SUNY Purchase guide gives the example of a BA in history, and the same applies to an AAS in information technology.
Example of a finished line:
AAS in Information Technology, XYZ Community College, May 2026
Plurals
If you ever need the plural, these are clear and correct:
- Two associate degrees
- Two associate’s degrees
Avoid two associates degrees.
If an employer asks for a copy of your associate degree
Wording on a resume is one question and documentation is another. An employer that checks education contacts the college or a verification service, so the transcript and the registrar settle the matter.
For an official copy, the guide on how to get a copy of your associate degree covers who to contact and what to request. What an associate degree looks like walks through the parts of the document, and how long it takes to get a degree sets out the timeline.
ValidGrad also makes a replica associate degree diploma as a display item. A replica is a novelty document for personal display only, and the terms of use forbid using one to claim a credential or to answer a verification request.
Frequently asked questions
Is associates degree correct?
No. When you mean one credential, associates degree is the common mistake. Use associate’s degree or associate degree instead.
Is it associate or associate’s degree?
Both are accepted. AP style and most college style guides use associate degree, while associate’s degree is more common in resumes and general writing. Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree always keep the apostrophe.
Does associate’s degree have an apostrophe?
The possessive form does, placed before the s. AP style drops the possessive and writes associate degree. The spelling with no apostrophe at all, associates degree, is the one to avoid.
How do you spell associate’s degree?
Spell it associate’s degree, with the apostrophe before the s, or write associate degree. Since associates is a real word, the misspelling slips past spell checkers.
Is associates degree capitalized?
Not in a normal sentence. Capitalize only the formal name of the degree, such as Associate of Applied Science. Chicago style lowercases the degree and the field in running text, and APA Style lowercases by default.
What is the most professional way to write it on a resume?
The formal degree name, such as Associate of Arts or Associate of Science, plus the school and the graduation date.
How do you pluralize associate degree?
Two clear options are two associate degrees or two associate’s degrees. Avoid two associates degrees.
Sources
- AP Stylebook academic degrees entry, quoted by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Communications. The AP rule on apostrophes in degree names. Checked September 14, 2026.
- Chicago Manual of Style Q&A, capitalization of academic degrees. Lowercase degrees and fields in running text. Checked September 14, 2026.
- APA Style, capitalization guidelines. APA as a down style. Checked September 14, 2026.
- Merriam-Webster, associate degree. Main entry spelling and the listed variant. Checked September 14, 2026.
- SUNY Purchase editorial style guide, academic degrees. No possessive, abbreviations without periods, no word degree after an abbreviation. Checked September 14, 2026.
- Palm Beach State College writing style guide. No possessive, the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science names, abbreviations with periods. Checked September 14, 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Facts on degrees conferred. Federal usage of associate’s degree. Checked September 14, 2026.