Did this Excelsior Admissions Counselor just lie to me?

[KittenMittens]

I would agree that, all other things being equal, a brand name tends to offers better return. I chose my MA in part because of this, it was slightly more than the comparable program at Fort Hays but I decided that a modest premium was worthwhile because I expected to be professionally active in the Washington, D.C. area where GWU's alumni base is strongest.

The danger lies in assuming that this is typical. There are well regarded schools that are fairly affordable, and schools that are manifestly unremarkable that are extremely expensive. You keep insisting that "there is a correlation between cost of a program", but particularly when it comes to online programs if there is such a positive correlation then it's extremely weak.

Not a direct correlation between cost of the program and "quality." Just that more expensive programs have more resources, more degrees to major in, and could be more prestigious. That's why I said before that not all expensive programs are that great. All I'm saying is that if the post-9/11 GI benefits are worth as high as $200,000, compared to say COSC or TESC which are like $3,000 - $5,000, it is a large amount of educational benefits that can be used down the road. Here's an example where it would cover $55,000 a year from NYU which is one of the most expensive schools in the country and a top one so $165,000 total. They cover so much room and board per month ($3,744), that you could cut it in half and live in Brooklyn, and pay for the rest of the tuition.

So you can see where I'm coming from when I say that those benefits are worth a lot of money, and spending a few grand for the degree is better than burning up those benefits (but to each her/his own of course)

If you don't mind me asking, since you've made it very clear that you place a high value on prestige, why did you choose to earn a second bachelor's degree from Charter Oak? Obviously as an alumnus I'm not going to argue that one shouldn't enroll at good old Charter Oak, but I recognize it's hardly a name brand. Among those familiar with international higher education the University of Delhi is significantly more prestigious and should have opened enough doors for postgraduate study even in the U.S., so why bother?

It's not that I place a high value on prestige, it's that society, and employers at large, for the most part, place a high value on it to varying degrees. So it's more a personal reaction based on how the system is. Though I don't think it's the end all/be all of things.

Yes, I agree that neither of the three schools are too prestigious, but they're regionally accredited which is what counts. My degree from India was not "regionally accredited" and my employer, which is the State of New York, required this credential if I wanted to advance in my career. Like you mentioned, DU is a very reputable and internationally reknown school, but unfortunately the dumb bureaucracy that is New York State will not accept a degree that is outside of the country, even from Oxford or Cambridge. So any regionally accredited degree will get you farther than one that is international at least with the federal or state government. Of course, you can get a WES evaluation to have credits transfer in, but some job positions require the Bachelor's degree as minimum experience.