Need help getting started... ready to get a degree

[Poetic light]

Ricke95126 - I also do better with goals and reaching each milestone before moving onto the next one!  We're probably the same age (I'm in my mid 40's now) and we probably like to do things step by step, in orderly fashion.  I recommended to do an Associates and Bachelors from the Big 3 and then move onto a competency based Masters afterwards... the main reason is, if "life" happens, you don't have to worry about paying by a flat-rate "semester or term" and cramming your courses into weeks.

I agree with collecting credits from different ACE/NCCRS sources as well, that is where I usually recommend Sophia.org for Lower Level and Study.com for Upper Level requirements for the Big 3.  Depending on the college/university, I would recommend Coopersmith, Davar, Onlinedegree, for Excelsior/TESU, but for COSC, they no longer accept NCCRS sources, so skip these if you're going for COSC.

I love learning using various providers, CLEP are now available FREE using ModernStates, if you have an open test center somewhere nearby, this is a great option.  But Sophia.org would be my go to for lower level as they recently leapfrogged both StraighterLine and Study.com to be my number 1 recommendation, for the cost, ease, and speed to finish - $79/month for two courses at a time - all you can cram into that month subscription!

I was curious, do you have tuition assistance/reimbursement from work?  Are you more into taking courses or exams?  If you don't have a limited budget, I would suggest TESU.  If you're strapped for cash, COSC.  If you want the least amount of work, then Excelsior College..

I do much better with online courses with exams at the end of each section, or knowledge check. I hate proctored exams. Yes we're about the same age and I'm guessing same stage in life,  I believe there is a c l e p testing center nearby that's open but if Sophia is the better deal and faster I'm all about that. I understood Sophia was just under lower division course work? 

What is the cost difference between the three schools?

I've also heard about the option of transferring into a traditional State School, University of Arizona UMass Amherst, enter school name here. etc online programs to finish the last 30 units aside from cost are there any other benefits to the big three? 

Thanks in advance

If you want lots of knowledge checks, then do study.com.  They have a quiz at the end of lessons and practice exams for each chapter.