Online degree marketing has gotten very good at making programs look interchangeable. They aren’t. Four practical filters separate “this will pay off” from “this will burn time and money.”
1. Accreditation type
Regional accreditation is the gold standard — credits transfer almost everywhere, and most employers recognize it without a second thought. National accreditation is a step lower; not always a problem, but worth knowing before enrolling.
2. Transfer-credit policy
If you’ve taken courses elsewhere, ask in writing how many will count toward your new degree. The answer often saves a full semester of cost.
3. Realistic time-to-completion
Marketing pages quote the fastest path. Look at the median, not the minimum, in published completion data. Programs that don’t publish that data are a flag in themselves.
4. All-in cost
- Per-credit tuition × total credits required
- Books, software, and lab fees
- Application, technology, and graduation fees
The lowest-tuition program is rarely the cheapest after fees. Always price the full ride.
1 Comment
Really Good.