Aspen or Walden?
Walden is regionally accredited, bills by the credit against a term calendar, and publishes a Practicum Pledge committing to match students who cannot find a placement. Aspen is nationally accredited, cheaper, sold on a fixed monthly plan, and leaves the practicum entirely to you. Those are the two differences that matter.
The placement difference is real
Very few online schools commit to matching you at all. Walden does, subject to conditions that include documented refusals from at least five sites and a match potentially up to a hundred miles away.
Aspen offers nothing comparable. If you have no route to a preceptor and are heading for a graduate track, that gap is worth more than the price difference.
The accreditation difference is structural
Walden's regional accreditation means credits and degrees move without a policy question. Aspen's national accreditation means each receiving institution decides for itself.
So Walden costs more and removes two risks. Aspen costs less and asks you to carry them. If you intend to finish where you start and can arrange your own placement, Aspen's saving is real money for risks you were never going to run.
Common questions
Is Walden or Aspen cheaper?
Aspen, substantially, on published figures. Walden's higher cost buys regional accreditation and a placement commitment.
Does Aspen have anything like Walden's Practicum Pledge?
No. Aspen publishes no placement commitment, so securing a site and preceptor is entirely the student's responsibility.
Which is better for going on to a doctorate elsewhere?
The regionally accredited option removes the question of whether the receiving university will accept your degree.