I got the square filler degree, which was an MBA, because TA covered all of it. I had friends who went to schools like OU and had quite a bit more work to do offline. I preferred the online learning environment over the brick and mortar places because my career field at the time allowed for long amounts of time on the computer. I completed it all while I was at work in about 8 months. When I got out, I applied for jobs and not one employer scoffed at my education level. I've got a great job now, an even better beard, and am looking at getting a Doctorate Degree in the next few years with my post 9/11 GI Bill. I think the real answer is that it depends on what you are trying to do.