A common question I am asked is “What is the total cost to earn a degree from Charter Oak State College.” So here’s the breakdown and an explanation of the costs involved. But first some general information…
Two reasons we’ve chosen Charter Oak State College…
#1 – the ability to use credit-by-exam to earn 51 of the 60 credits needed for an associate degree (and 114 of the needed 120 credits for a bachelor’s degree), and
#2 – the fact that Charter Oak State College is regionally accredited.
General information about Charter Oak…
• Charter Oak State College is a public, online college, and was established in 1973 by the Connecticut legislature for adult learners.
• It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (the same accrediting agency as Harvard, MIT, and Yale.)
• They do not have a traditional brick and mortar campus.
• They do hold a graduation ceremony that graduates may choose to attend.
• Students must be 16 to be admitted to Charter Oak. Charter Oak will consider younger students on a case by case basis.
General information about earning an associate degree from Charter Oak State College…
• A student must earn 60 credits to be awarded an associate degree.
• 42 of those credits can be earned by passing nine of the exams included in the Dual Credit at Home program. These 42 credits fulfill Charter Oak’s General Education requirements.
• Twelve additional credits are earned by taking the remaining four exams in Dual Credit at Home’s program (American Government CLEP, Public Speaking DSST, Business Ethics and Society DSST, and the Human/Cultural Geography DSST). They are applied to the degree requirements as electives.
• Three credits are earned by completing Charter Oak State College’s Cornerstone course. The Cornerstone course is an online, 8-week course designed to teach “principles and techniques of critical thinking, research writing, and interactive digital communication in academic and professional environments” and is a requirement for all degree-seeking students.
The final six credits are earned by taking a three credit science course and the corresponding one credit lab, plus one additional three credit course or exam as an elective (student’s choice). We recommend encouraging your student to pick a subject that interests them and enjoy the process of studying! (They will likely finish with at least one extra credit as the science course with a lab credit is worth four credits, plus the minimum three credit elective course or exam.)
General information about earning a bachelor’s degree from Charter Oak State College…
• Student must earn 120 credits to be awarded a bachelor’s degree.
• In addition to the requirements listed above, students seeking a bachelor’s degree must also earn 3 credits by completing Charter Oak’s Capstone Course.
• Students must earn a minimum of 36 credits in their major or concentration.
• At least 30 credits earned must be at the Upper Level.
• Students choose additional exams to earn elective credits – until they have 120 credits total.
• Students will have learned how to study by following the Study Plans for the first 51 credits. They simply fulfill the degree requirements for their chosen degree plan. We include complete degree plans as part of the College Degree Roadmap course.
Cost Breakdown for an Associate Degree
Here is the cost breakdown for a student earning an associate degree when they take advantage of Dual Credit at Home’s Study Plans and earn the needed credits primarily by taking CLEP and DSST exams along with Charter Oak’s required Cornerstone Course.
DCAH Study Plans – $1096.00
The Study Plans guide students through the exams that fulfill the general education requirements and teach them how to study efficiently. They will apply the study methods they learn on these 13 exams to the remaining exams needed to complete their bachelor’s degree requirements.
Books – approximately $400.00 when purchased used on Amazon (a Book List is included in the Student Notebook sent to all Dual Credit at Home students)
Cost of 13 exams that are part of Dual Credit at Home, taken at a testing center – $1123.00 (each CLEP exam is $87.00 and DSST exam is $85 from CollegeBoard and DSST)
Cost of 1 additional exam for 3 credits – approximately $87.00
Proctoring fees – $280.00 – Fees are approximately $20 per exam, paid to your local testing center
Once students have accumulated credits by taking exams, it is time to enroll at Charter Oak State College, and there is a $75.00 Admission Application Fee. (A student must have 9 credits earned before applying for admission.)
Once a student has been accepted, they enroll and take the online Cornerstone Course – $1176.00 (A student must have earned their English 101 credits before taking the Cornerstone Course. Dual Credit at Home students earn these credits by passing the College Composition CLEP exam.)
Each student pays a Student Services Fee of $275 each semester (spring, summer, and fall) that they are enrolled. (Dual Credit at Home students earn all of the needed credits before enrolling, so they only pay this fee for one or two semesters because they apply, are accepted, enroll, have their earned credits applied to their degree requirements, take the Cornerstone Course, and graduate in only one or two semesters. This is possible because most of the credits have been earned before enrolling – with the exception of the Cornerstone Course.)
Students pay a one-time $68 Technology Fee the semester in which they take the Cornerstone Course.
And there is a $215 graduation fee.
Approximate cost to earn a regionally accredited associate degree from Charter Oak State College is under $6,000.00*.
Cost Breakdown for a Bachelor’s Degree
Many students choose to go on to complete their bachelor’s degrees continuing to earn credits by exam using the method of study and testing they have learned by following Dual Credit at Home’s Study Plans. Here are the projected additional costs:
Additional books – approximately $250.00
Additional exam fees for the remaining credits – $1653.00 (for approximately 19 exams – exam fees are lower if a student chooses to take exams that are worth more than 3 credits (such as a GRE subject exam or a CLEP foreign language exam, etc.)
Proctoring fees for these exams – approximately $380
Students seeking a bachelor’s degree must also take Charter Oak’s Capstone Course – $1176.00
An additional $68 Technology Fee is paid during the semester in which a student takes the Capstone Course.
The $215 graduation fee is paid at the end of earning 120 credits.
Approximate cost to earn a regionally accredited Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from Charter Oak State College is under $10,000.00.
This is a great college option for many students, and it’s our desire to help you understand this option as you map out the path best for you!
Free free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to see if this option is a good fit for your student.
*Pricing is subject to change, so please check with your local testing centers and the university of your choice for current costs. Both the associate and bachelor degree pricing do not include the cost of the mandatory science course with a lab credit. That can be obtained as an online course from Charter Oak, but that is a more expensive way to earn the credit so we would suggest taking a science lab course from a junior college and transferring the credits to Charter Oak.
