We Have Moved on From the Basic “Big 3” Colleges and Now Have CBE Big 3 and Others

[sanantone]

Just to be clear, I would never put CBE in with the Big 3.  I personally would not do well in a CBE program (judging by how long it took me to complete Sophia and Study.com courses).  My daughter CAN NOT get through Sophia's IT course, and it's about the easiest one there is.  My other kid - I doubt he'll do well with it either.  It's just not our thing.  I really need more structure, as does my daughter.

My husband self-studies for IT certs, so a CBE program would be a great fit for him.  But I think that for a lot of people, it's just NOT a good option.  Not even close.  Not even at half the cost (because God knows it will take me 3x as long to finish - or even longer - or maybe I never will).

Give me a degree from one of the Big 3 any day.  I'll pay more to not have to take 10 classes at a CBE school.

I think both methods are for self-directed learners but different types of self-directed learners. Online programs already have lower graduation rates, and CBE programs require even better time management to keep costs low and an ability to teach oneself. This is why CBE programs have very low graduation rates. I don't think CBE or credit-by-exam/ACE/NCCRS are a good fit for most students. 

Fortunately for me, I was able to complete my degrees at TESU before the drastic changes. As someone with ADHD, taking one exam is less daunting than writing multiple papers for a CBE program. I tried CBE twice at Edmonds Community College and Walden. The only reason why I completed any credits at Edmonds is because there was the option to test out of the first two courses by earning CIW certifications.

[Alpha]

It seems quite appropriate that you point out that the Big 3 don't seem to shine quite as brightly as they did in the past and that there are some schools, each coming into existence in its own way, that have moved into positions of higher prominence.  I think it's good to mention SNHU as they offer lots of programs at a good price.  I'd stretch a little farther and mention ASU as a big player.  Their cost is clearly higher but the number of degree programs on offer makes them worth a look for almost everyone.  The entire field of online degrees has evolved remarkably in the past 10-20 years.
Online Degree Programs | ASU Online

One way to think about this is to track enrollment.  After all, if a specific school is enrolling a ton of students then they must be appealing to a lot of people, even if it's not the right choice for me.  In that regard, ASU just announced 61K+ online students for the upcoming academic year.  I'm not sure how that compares to the Big 3.

135,000 at SNHU
https://www.snhu.edu/about-us#:~:text=So...e%20nation.

[GoodYellowDogs]

I may have missed it scrolling through... but what about Walden for CBE?

[ss20ts]

I may have missed it scrolling through... but what about Walden for CBE?

They're kind of pricy and they are not available in every state.

[jsd]

One of the things touted about the Big 3 was that they're not for-profit schools. If we're keeping that as Big CBE criteria, Walden (and Capella) are out.

[SophiaPrincess]

I recommend adding the University of the Cumberlands and Liberty University to the list of other schools to consider. Both schools accepted more transfer credit from Sophia than the Big 3. Liberty offers a massive number of degree options, even aviation.
University of the Cumberlands accepted 90 hours of Sophia credit and correctly transferred all the upper level Sophia business courses to their upper level equivalent rather than as miscellaneous lower level credit. University of the Cumberlands further distinguishes itself with low tuition at $220/credit, very competitive for a nonprofit, RA doctoral university. I'm told UC's online courses are asynchronous, with the option to work in advance, but not complete the course prior to the end of their 8 week terms. They do require a capstone and completion of the ETS Major Field Test for your major.

I love the flexibility of Sophia and am torn between UMPI and UC. Any suggestions?

[Jonathan Whatley]

I love the flexibility of Sophia and am torn between UMPI and UC. Any suggestions?

Which programs (major, minor, concentration) are you looking at?

[GameSlinger]

I love the flexibility of Sophia and am torn between UMPI and UC. Any suggestions?

This should probably be posted to the degree planning help section rather than on this thread. There is a standard form you can fill all your information into that bjchueng77 has linked in the sticky post.

[Pats20]

Don’t really understand why we’ve moved from TESU. It’s still a great option @ 30 ra credits including 15 in house or waiver. Not to mention it’s about as straight forward as it comes in their degree requirements with the assistance of this board.

[bjcheung77]

The Big 3 is still there due to the 113/114 possible credit transfers into COSC/Excelsior/TESU. The main difference now vs then is the extra requirements each institution has added which make them less desirable (especially COSC, as there are 80%+ requirement for ACE, dropping NCCRS, change in Study.com UL equivalency options, etc). Excelsior has made a few changes as well, main drawback now is the transfer of credits, each batch is $300 for each additional evaluation. TESU is probably the best of the three at this time... for those who can complete competency based degrees, that is a very solid alternative for those who have the energy/experience/time...