College Degrees vs. Online Certifications: Which One Should You Pick?

Computer science degrees are becoming more niche with each passing day, while online coding certifications are becoming the norm.

They do the same thing: teach programming. But they take different approaches to doing so.

In this blog, you will get an idea if one of these is for you. We will also discuss how it is not always necessary to choose one.

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College Degree

• Traditional method of getting higher education
• Often has a comprehensive syllabus that does not focus on only one subject or concept
• Provides formal academic accreditation
• Typically lasts two to four years, depending on whether it is an Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral degree
• Can cost over $55,000 per year

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Online Certifications

• A more modern approach to learning tech
• The syllabus is narrower – mostly focused on a particular field or specialized skill set
• Usually does not have formal academic accreditation
• Can last from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the skills being taught and the curriculum
• Costs lower than college degrees – can start as low as $100

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How to Decide between College Degrees and Online Certifications?

Choosing between a college degree and an online certification will come down to what you want to do and how much you can pay for it. The more important among them should be what you aim to do with the degree/certification.

However, it is not always an either/or choice. You can study for a four-year college degree and still benefit greatly from online certification courses.

For example, suppose you are enrolled in a Computer Science degree program and are enjoying the college experience.

But nine months in, you realize that cybersecurity is your area of interest, something you have yet to study in college.

Here, you can find a good cybersecurity certification course that lets you get a head start in your journey. Using certifications as a supplement to your college classes is a great way to stay ahead of the pack.

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Who are College Degrees For?

With the recent growth in the remote education and self-study sectors, college degrees are suitable only for a small group of people, all of whom should ideally be able to pay for it. We recommend college degrees only for:

Getting into higher education and academic research

If you enjoy researching and spending hours on end working on problems no one else has thought of solving, a university setting is the perfect environment for you.

Academic degrees are usually research-heavy, and that holds true even when you move up the levels. You will get to dive deeper into the concepts you find interesting in your Master's and Ph.D. levels than in your Bachelor's.

However, university degrees also mean you have to sit through long lectures and even longer hours of self-study. But, if you are okay with these, you should pursue a college degree.

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Those who love the college environment

If you are a fresh high school graduate and you loved your high school experience — hanging out with friends, studying together, building connections, collaborating on projects, etc. — you might enjoy going to a college regularly.

A normal four-year Bachelor's degree provides plenty of time to build up your personality, important connections, and a wealth of relevant experience. If you consider all these important, you will emerge as a well-rounded individual ready to tackle your professional life.

Still, you should consider if thousands of dollars per year is a suitable price.

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Regardless of which group you belong to, you should get a taste of your study environment. For this, we suggest you check out the MIT CS50 lectures. These will give you a feel of how the lectures will be and whether that style of learning is what you prefer.

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Who are Online Certifications For?

Online certifications are growing because they provide a low entry point for everyone interested in tech, whether they have the financial resources and the academic background for it or not.

As such, they are more versatile, more readily accessible, and easier to recommend for more groups of people than college degrees are.

Here is a list of the kinds of people for whom we think online certifications are a better option:

We recommend online certifications for:

Quickly landing a tech job

If you know that you want to pursue a career in tech but do not want to wait too long to be job-ready, online certifications (and coding bootcamps) are the way to go.

There are two things to pay attention to:

• You should know what you want to do in your career
• You should know how to keep yourself motivated

If you know both these things, the next step is simple: find a good online course about the technology you are interested in and start studying.

Or, if you do not know what to pursue yet, we suggest you start with Python. It's the best entry point for everything programming.

When choosing an online certification program or course, check these things:

• If the course teaches you the things you want to learn
• If the course lets you practice as you learn – does it have a hands-on experience?
• If the course encourages you to build projects – projects are a must for a self-taught programmer
• If the course is well-reviewed and well-liked among the programming community

The certification, coupled with your portfolio of projects, should quickly prepare you for a job in your desired field.

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Switching to a career in tech

If you are already a professional working in a non-tech field and wish to switch to a tech career, online certifications are your best bet.

These certifications offer you exactly what you need:

• a job-focused approach to learning
• flexible, hands-on learning environment
• beginner-friendly breakdown of the basics
• a chance to make mistakes with fewer consequences

They also require a shorter time commitment and teach you skills that you can put into use immediately. Further, certification programs like bootcamps might even help you search for jobs.

So, if you are looking to switch careers and need a great entry point, you should start with Python through our Master Python learning path. It teaches you Python, the most beginner-friendly, in-demand programming language, in an interactive way covering only the most important concepts.

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Learning a new skill

If you are already in tech but want to upskill or reskill on a certain technology, online certifications are the best way to do it.

When we compare their curricula, these certifications are usually narrower than college degrees. Thus, they can keep their curriculums updated with the latest changes in a particular technology.

This means you will get more value out of taking an online degree for your upskilling needs than with a college degree. There are higher chances of having to deal with an outdated curriculum with college courses.

Also, online certifications are way cheaper than degrees.

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Final Thoughts

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to choosing between college degrees and online certifications. Each has its own merits and drawbacks – the right choice ultimately depends on what you are looking to get out of your learning resources and what your eventual goal is.

College is still a great way to learn new technology, but only if you can pay for it.

However, if you are on the fence about it, try a certification course like our Python Basics course and see if the tech landscape is for you.