For a countervailing viewpoint, I got a Masters in CS from Georgia Tech, and it was just coursework at the level of my 3rd and 4th years of undergrad in New Zealand. Bit of a let-down.
Some classes were very good, but on the whole I think of it mostly as a cheap thumb on the H-1B scales. (Not true on the whole, though -- students of the online program are statistically far more likely to be American citizens than their on-campus counterparts.)
I tend to think online programs, even from great schools like Georgia Tech or John Hopkins, are definitely easier than on campus. Typically on campus will attract students that did very well in undergrad and are on their way to a PhD, where as online has no option to continue for a PhD.
At least sixteen and possibly twenty students from GA Tech’s OMSCS have gone on to Ph.D. programmes. The following 14 universities have OMSCS grads and CMU admitted one.
Not trying to discredit your evidence, but according to the GT OMSCS website, there have been 8664 students in that program. 20/8664 is less than .25%. Anyways, all I'm saying is that I'm confident that Online MSCS are not held to the same pedigree or difficulty as their on campus counterparts.
Being in one of these programs myself I can assure you that the standard is rigorous. I attended a top university in the UK and the quality of education is not any lower.
There are some universities that are absolutely frauds but that is not the case for the universities listed above.
If you disagree go on the coursework pages and try and do the first problem set then tell me it’s not as difficult.
