I'd be inclined to trust the degree programs, but can't speak from personal experience. There are reputable universities putting their names on the line and giv

I'd be inclined to trust the degree programs, but can't speak from personal experience. There are reputable universities putting their names on the line and giving out degrees. They're also cheaper than in-person degrees but way more expensive than the specialization certificates. There is clearly effort there and I'm sure you get real TAs grading your work and giving feedback, not peers, and the classmates are people who qualified to get into a MS program, not literally anyone who clicked a sign up button. UIUC and Penn aren't going to give you a MS if you didn't earn it.