40+ Looking for Fast Level Up

[ercmxr]

Your Location: NC, USA
Your Age: 40+
What kind of degree do you want?: BM, BA, CS, CIS, IT
Current Regional Accredited Credits: N/A

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: N/A

Any certifications or military experience? N/A

Budget: $5-10k 
Commitments: currently work full time and can work on my studies part time or in the evenings/weekends
Dedicated time to study: 15-20 hours during week, 10-12 hours on weekends
Timeline: I ideally would like the easiest, fastest and cheapest path, in that order
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: no tuition reimbursement at work

After 20 years in a very niche field that has minimal management experience but very specialized skills in the arts, I've realized my only path to more income and job security is to get a degree.

My goals are to get as much education as I can to make up for any lack of school in my early years. I would say I'm pretty intelligent and complex concepts come quickly to me. I have done a few CLEP practice exams and did well.

I was looking at maybe the accelerated BS/MS IT combo degree from WGU, but after some additional research, it seems that maybe TESU might be a better path with more capacity and flexibility to transfer credits.

My current working plan is to start with the College Composition CLEP, as it's 6 CUs and has less essay requirements than other programs I've seen. Then maybe start knocking out some Gen Ed at Sophia.

Thanks for any help and advice. I hope to contribute to others' success as I learn!