A $1200, 1-to-1 CS Degree (and the knowledge is free!): Part 2

This is part two of my cheaper CS degree series. I am a soon to be college grad looking to reflect on my degree and provide a one-to-one path to what I've studied. For freshman and sophomore year courses, refer back to part one!

Written by Vincent Buchner | Apr 16, 2025

Last Updated at April 16, 2025

(Re)Introduction

I’ll waste no time! This is part two of series where I compare what I’ve learned in college and those courses with what I think are one-to-one comparisons. Same format as part one, each course will have a free and paid option, where the paid option has some sort of certificate attached with it. Let’s continue!

Listed below are the courses I took my junior and senior year of college. You will notice there is more emphasis on theory and design patterns this last half. These courses will really solidify your knowledge in computer science, and even though they don’t pop up too often in day-to-day tasks, they are that ‘secret handshake’ of CS.

Year Three (Junior Year)

• • CS-260: Computational Models
• • CS-440: Database Management
• • CS-360: Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms

Year Four (Senior Year)

• • CS-370: Programming Languages
• • CS-460: Security in Application
• • CS-490: Senior Project

CS-260: Computational Models

Free: Brooklyn College: Lectures by Noson Yanofsky

Paid: No paid options!

Computational Models, or theoretical computer science, was a course I didn’t expect to like, but did. It was challenging, but it really is one of those courses that every computer science student should take. No web framework, no dependencies, just theory. We weren’t even allowed laptops during lecture, just pen, paper, and the whiteboard. It takes some getting used to, but the problems you solve require more then just another library.

The reason there’s likely no certificate or paid option for this course, is that the degree is the paid option. This subject is really embedded in academia, so if you’d like to study a career here, a PHd would be your best bet!

CS-440: Database Management

Free: Database Fundamentals: Full Course

Paid: Database Engineer Professional - Meta - Cost: $49 / month

These courses are great for some trying to get into more backend and infrastructure, as having the right database for your application in such a key component. In this course, you’ll cover a lot of terminology such as RAID, dead locks, relational vs. non-relational databases. If you’re serious about getting into backend development and database management, I would highly recommend the paid option because it is designed to move you into such a role.

CS-360: Advanced Data Structure’s and Algorithms

Free: Playlist: Advanced Data Structure’s and Algorithms - Harvard

Paid: Python Data Structure’s and Algorithms - Cost: $14

Probably the most difficult course I took in college: most of my assignments were in that 750 - 1500 lines of code range. That said, this course really builds upon what you learned in CS-160 and is ideal for anyone getting into computer science academia. I have never came across any of these data structures in an interview setting, as usually they are so time consuming to write that it would take a while to implement.

CS-370: Programming Languages

Free: Playlist: Programming Languages - Brown University

Paid: Build A Complete Programming Language

As I’m writing this, I’m currently enrolled in this course! From what I’ve gathered so far, it’s a really great way to get more exposure to how languages work and to try out some new languages. Use this time to explore and build your own language in some new language! This course touches on both theory and practical applications, and is a good opportunity to do some low level work as well.

CS-460: Security In Application

Free: Cybersecurity Free Learning and Resources - IBM

Paid: Cybersecurity Professional - Google - $49 / month

Cybersecurity is a huge industry and is growing need as we advance in this technological era. This is another point where I would recommend the paid option if you are serious about getting into security. It’s a really popular course and one of the major benchmarks employers look for when applicants apply for security positions.

CS-490: Senior Project

Free:
Frontend: Next.js 15 Full Course
Backend: Django Rest API Full Course

This is it! Your last computer science course, time to use what you’ve learned over the last four years or so (hopefully shorter). In the is course, there’s even more flexibility! You can build a game, try out a new library or framework, or study something with more theory involved. Some of the major requirements, however, is to use some tool to do: version control, communication (if there’s team members), CI/CD pipeline, tests, and some form of deployment.

For my senior project, I worked on a team of four and we built a mobile and web platform called Feathr. There was a lot that went into the platform: a backend server, cloud functions with Firebase, a web and react native frontend, testing for all platforms, deployment, and CI/CD pipeline. Checkout my projects page to learn more.

You did it!! 🥳 you have now completed a 1-to-1 computer science degree. I know that was a lot, and a lot of stuff that’s not even necessary to get a job. But now you’ve done the secret handshake. And you did it on your own time, for a lot less. There’s a lot to be said there, so congratulations!

Feel free to contact me on your thoughts on how I did on this list, I would love to hear your perspective! Thanks you for sticking around!

Final Total:

• • CS-150: $49 * 2 months = $98
• • CS-140: $25 (on sale)
• • CS-160: $100
• • CS-196: $100 * (<1 month)
• • CS-252: $49 * 5 months = $245
• • CS-330: $119 (freq. deals)
  
  
• • CS-260: Free version only
• • CS-440: $49 * 5 months = $245
• • CS-360: $14
• • CS-370: $50
• • CS-460: $49 * 5 months = $245
• • CS-490: Pricing my vary per project (call it a $100 course)

The final total being $1145.