While I can't claim that I learned many things that have actually changed the trajectory of my career, having the paper has certainly helped me get the first round of resume selections. It's really just a credential and checking off a box.

I did gain a tremendous amount from the students and (especially) professors I met. Three years in University in my late twenties has had a tremendous impact on my network. To this day (11 years after I convocated), I still reap the benefits from that network.

When I went back to school, I was quite a bit older than most of my fellow students, so I gravitated towards professors and older students. Being in business, many of the older students had huge amounts of experience in industry.

Three caveats:

1.) I studied business, not computer science.

2.) I studied in person and not online.

3.) I focused on building my network.