I'd consider the #1 to #5 (out of 10,000 students) in Ng's MachineLearning Coursera more compelling than 'A' from his on-campus class. So by making it a nation

I'd consider the #1 to #5 (out of 10,000 students) in Ng's MachineLearning Coursera more compelling than 'A' from his on-campus class. So by making it a national competition, MOOCs have an advantage for those companies seeking high quality candidates. Also, they deliver a more standardized training experience: Even if you took some interesting but non-conventional AI class at Harvey Mudd, it might be better for companies hiring junior devs to just know you're competent at the basics from your online work.