Attending WGU vs. State College

Im currently completing my Associates in Business, Special Requirements. The degree is a transfer degree tailored to the CIS program at a state college. I now know more about my career path than when I started school. I know I need experience and certs along with school. Im now in my first it job doing help desk for a isp and studying for my a+. Im two classes away from my Associates and WGU seems like a better choice than the state college because of the certs they provide. Also the cost is about half of what the state college will cost. My big question is would a state college look better on a resume or does that really matter?

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Comments

Dragonranger

I cant answer as to whether WGU is better than a state college. However I can tell you that at least from what I've observed there's still quite a few people out there who think going to a traditional 4 year college is the best.
I do think many more people are choosing to goto an online or vocational school (ITT Tech) because it makes alot more sense for some people and in the next few years we may see a larger amount of people doing that.
Personally I like that WGU can get you some many certs and education at the same time. So i say go WGU.

dmeans

To answer your question quickly, I'll say that it doesn't really matter. But it's a bit more complicated than that.

I'm a WGU graduate (IT/Software), I've been a software engineer for 20+ years, and I make hiring recommendations. I've never used the college attended as a criteria to hire or not to hire. I always look to experience and intelligence. I probe their backgrounds and I find out how they solved problems encountered in prior projects.

While reputation may play into degrees of chemistry, physics, biology, medicine or law, in terms of IT qualifications, WGU has a good grasp on what it takes to prepare one for the IT environment.

While you might encounter resistance from those who have formed a negative opinion of post-traditional education systems, be aware that many such people have either formed those opinions in a vacuum, or they're motivated to support the traditional system. If I had to make a hiring recommendation based only solely the university attended (and no other qualifications), I would choose the WGU graduate because completing that program says more about the intangibles I'm interested in than a traditional degree does.

N2IT

It really depends on what you are looking for.

A degree in fashion design from a state school would lose out to an IT degree from WGU, but an electrical engineering degree from the Vanderbilt University would smash the IT degree from WGU.

It really depends on the type of degree, the individual institution, and how they relate together.

For instance an MBA from Harvard or an Accounting degree from the University of Florida would trump almost any degree in their respective fields. To lump all "state colleges" into one group won't get the results you are looking for. You have to analyze each university and see what they specialize in.

Example a CS degree from Stanford or Rice University would smash any WGU degree, and I am a WGU student in the last leg of the MBA. However a ITSM degree from Illinois State, not so much.

higherho

I would try to calculate your ROI when getting a degree. Is another 40,000 + dollars in debt going to amount to huge profits in the IT field? Or study for certs, get exp, and just get the degree at WGU? I will be honest, the people here who graduated from WGU are making more money a month than I am simply because I have to pay out a little over 500 dollars a month for loans.

I'm leaning towards getting my grad degree from WGU if I have to pay for it myself, if my company is going to pay for it then I will go to a state school. It really depends on the quality of the program and how good the teachers are.

naclh2onaz

The state college is ASU and the degree would be CIS with courses focused on sdlc and network design. I dont think they have an exceptional cis program or anything. If I went to WGU I'd either go for the network d&m or network admin. Considering Ill have little IT experience when I graduate, would getting a network admin degree with certs benefit me more now? Then I could move into the design and management later

higherho

I think the Degree + certs would help you a lot more and best part of it all you wont be crazy in debt. This industry cares more about EXP and Certs, the degree is a check mark for most companies.

naclh2onaz

Ok yea thats what Ive read. I plan on starting in Aug after I finish my Associates. By then, I will have my A+ and possibly ccent as well and hope to be ready for a switch from the help desk to a noc position! WGU will allow me more freedom and Ill be able to work full time instead of taking on alot of debt

newb

what is tuition at WGU for 2 or 4 years usually like?

naclh2onaz

About 2800 a term, which is 6 months.

SteveLord

Tuition cost is on their website.

Hypntick

newb wrote: »

what is tuition at WGU for 2 or 4 years usually like?

You may also not take 2-4 years to complete the degree. Obviously not everyone is going to finish in 1 term, but 3 terms is totally doable without killing yourself in the process.

ptilsen

It's a bit complicated.

Dollar-for-dollar and hour-for-hour, I think you will actually get more overall career skill value out of WGU. In fact, I don't think there's really much question to it. A bachelor's degree in CIS hardly qualifies you to do anything in IT, while the cert-heavy WGU degrees actually qualify you above your experience level in terms of skill and knowledge.

The flip side is you don't need a degree at all to get those skills. Even WGU's curriculum is probably not as time and money efficient as certification self-study.

So, moving beyond career skill value, you have educational value and credential value. I believe that most state CIS programs are going to have more educational value in the sense that they get you a well-rounded education, and I believe they are going to have more value as credentials. Many employers will not have heard of WGU and will not like that it's 100% online. Others won't care at all. Frankly, a good hiring manager should be focused on your overall your skills, aptitude, intelligence, and personality. However, certifications, education, and experience are often used as indicators or even proxies for these, and can be extremely significant in getting you the job interview and even the job.

Overall, the goal should be to have the most reputable degree you can from the best school you can for the lowest cost possible along with getting the best and most relevant certifications I can. These are, unfortunately, conflicting goals at the end of the day.

If you are considering getting a graduate degree later, WGU might actually be the best pick, because it won't hinder you into getting into most Master's programs and your undergrad is of little importance if you have a good graduate degree. If you have no interest in that, you might think more seriously about the state school and what local employers will think when they see it on your resume. You should also consider what you really want to do with your career. If one of the WGU degrees aligns really well with what you think you want to do, that's something to think about.

One other factor is mobility. A local state school won't be as large of an advantage, if any, over WGU if you ever relocate.

As technology progresses, attitudes towards online degrees may well change. I still think there is a significant stigma worth fearing, but it's hard to think it will always be there as everything Internet becomes mainstream, and even now, you probably won't find anyone on TechExams who has found their WGU degree to be a serious career hindrance.