Post-Baccalaureate Online BS Programs? I am going into the field of computer science after getting my original bachelor's and masters (in city planning) a few years ago and finding out I like the technology much more than the actual field I studied before. I took GIS courses and started tinkering around with code and figured out CS was my calling. I am currently taking classes at my local community college to get an AS in CS that I am hoping to transfer to somewhere that offers a BS. I have no regrets because I am in a job I love and take class half-time while I work.
I think that I will be done with it in about 1.5 to 2 years as it is about 27 credit hours and I am taking about 7-8 a semester (fall, spring, and summer). It may take me closer to the 2 because I want to retake calculus and physics (as the college requires) since I took them 10 years ago as an 18-year old and barely skated by. Most BS requirements in CS require 2 calc classes and one physics class. It looks like my local universities can accept them being taken from community college as long as the AS was earned. I just would rather be safe than sorry.

Here is the catch though, I probably need to do it online since I also want to work while in school and will likely be moving out of my state when my SO finishes medical residency in 2017.

I like being in class, but I am 28 now and will likely have a lot more going on later. It seems like going somewhere locally would be more affordable, but then I risk not being done in time. That's why I am considering doing it online since I may have to perhaps have a marriage and hopefully an advanced career from what I am doing now at my current company. Are there any good schools that are non-profit that go fully online? To further make things complicated, I am hoping to go somewhere that isn't insanely expensive because I am already $35,000 in the hole from my past degrees. I have seen that there is OSU, UMUC, and U of Illinois. I have heard that UI and UMUC are expensive and hard to get into. I read somewhere that FSU and Nova may have something as well as some private catholic college. Trying to sort out fact from fiction on good schools and seeing the most up-to-date information. Those degree mills just are not appealing to me in that they are expensive and I would rather have my time be put into something that is on the up-and-up.  It seems like a few of you here may be able to tell me things from personal experiences.

I really am hoping you  can help me get a list of reputable non-profit schools to apply to sometime in 2015 that will accommodate me in that part of life.
There are many online programs from traditional universities that you could choose from. A significant question is your aim for the degree. 


Will you pursue further education?
Are you planning to switch careers?
Do you intend a career in industry or academia?


It's important to understand what your goals are. Particularly in the software industry, if your goal is hobbyist, to build skills that will supplement your current job or to pick up as a developer, the education you already have may likely be enough. (Edit: And, if undergrad is your terminal goal, this probably isn't the forum.)

If the goal is to pursue graduate/advanced education or research, then the specific degree is obviously valuable. A problem may exist with finding the nexus between "good" and "easy to get into" (you indicate a concern with admissions rigor at UI and UM-UC). Plus, it's important in those cases to be developing relationships with faculty, a task that is hard to do through emails and online forums. 

Programs through traditional universities have costs similar to their in-person programs. That's going to be hard to get around. 

One exception that comes to mind is Harvard Extension School's programs. They offer a computer science focus, but do require at least 16 credits completed through in-person courses in Cambridge. 

I unfortunately can't offer a comprehensive list of online bachelors degrees through traditional universities. 

Something else to consider, though, is instead of pursuing a second bachelors, look for masters programs that function as career-change degrees. These will have a lower bar for entry and include some fundamental learning (though generally expect you to learn quicker). 


Open University (Bachelors, Post-bachelors, Masters)
Oregon State (Bachelors CS)
Drexel (Bachelors Info Sys completion, Masters CS)
Harvard Extension School (Bachelors CS, Masters Software Eng)
Georgia Tech (Masters Computer Science)
Penn State's World Campus (Masters Software Engineering)


come immediately to mind as being accredited schools with these sorts of online programs. They're all easily found with a bit of Googling, however, and I'd suggest doing a little focused searching to see what you can turn up. 

Many, many schools have programs today. Masters programs will probably be cheaper than Bachelors programs. Through a traditional school, though, all are going to cost. And ultimately, unless you're looking to get deep into theory, you're likely better off completing your Associates, learning a few modern languages and learning through application.