BS in Psychology - Cheap and Fast (and dirty)

[dfrecore]

@bjcheung77 What is it that makes COSC cheaper than TESU for this degree? Is it just the lack of residency waiver?

There are lots of things that go into the price structure at each of the Big 3 that's different, so you can't say there's just 1 thing that will change things.  Each school has a myriad of differences that change the price, and courses that can't be gotten for free that you'll be required to take, that also add to the cost.

TESU charges the residency waiver, which the other 2 don't.  But, the cornerstone is only $300 (changing on 7/1/19), there's no per-term fee, and no lab science required (no science at all actually).  COSC requires you to take the 3cr Cornerstone and Capstone there, plus additional UL courses, a per-term fee that you'll pay for at least 2 terms, a technology fee, and a lab science.  EC requires an annual fee, additional UL courses, and generally a higher-level math course than the other 2.

You really have to make a spreadsheet for each school, using their particular requirements, discounts (if any), plug in the courses you're going to take along with all of the courses you've already taken, and then see which way you come out ahead.  It's a lot of work to do all 3, but it may make sense to do so if you can find that one is MUCH cheaper than the other 2.

Also, whatever the price is now, can change in the future before you graduate - while being enrolled locks in your catalog in terms of requirements, it does NOT lock in any pricing structure that may exist (obviously this does not apply for something like a comprehensive option where you pay for a year up front at TESU or something like that).  This can be good and bad.  On the bad side, TESU raised the price for the residency waiver this year to $2,200, and they are getting rid of the 1cr cornerstone and replacing it with a 3cr cornerstone that will cost more than triple that amount.  On the good side, they kept the comprehensive plan price the same as last year, including the study.com discount, and lowered the price for their LL TECEP's to $25/cr (so $75 for most of them).

Excelsior also charges an “Enrollment fee” of $1095 if you do the multi source option where you don’t take at least 12 credits from them. Basically their version of a residency waiver. In addition to the annual enrollment fee of $495 that you mentioned. The annual fee can be lowered to $225 with studydotcom affiliation... but it’s  still not much cheaper than TESU over all, especially with all the extra UL credit required.

The Enrollment Fee is charged the 1st year, the ongoing Student Services Annual Fee is charged after that.  So you can normally get by without paying it if you enroll right when you want to take the capstone and are done with the other 117cr.  But, their per-credit cost for the capstone is $510/cr (so $1,530 for the capstone), and you can't get the discount pricing for using a partner like SL or Study.com unless you also take 12cr there.  The only thing you can save is the $50 application fee.

Like I said, there are different price structures at each school, and each school has it's pros and cons.  You really have to look at them separately, there is no one specific thing that makes one cost more than another, it's different for each of them.