I studied for a semester so you dont really get a degree, its just credit accepted at your university for that semester. I spent i think 8 grand for a ciee program semester, which was soemthing like 10 grand cheaper than a normal semester at my university so it is nice. If you dont care about the credits transferring, you can go straight through universities like st petersburg state or moscow, and it will be like 1000 i think, but depending on how strict your school is, the credits may not transfer and it will be harder for you to graduate on time. Basically these programs have better relations with universities, making it easier to accept the credits towards whatever degree you have.