EvilZone

It's pretty much been covered by the other anyway but here's my two pence.

I'd first ask yourself why you are doing it and what you wish to gain out of it. As this will likely define what route you take.

Eg: If you are doing this out because it's something you enjoy and you want to learn as much as possible or If you are looking to make a career out of it.

If the later then make sure you do some research first by looking at the requirements for the jobs you are interested in. If they all require a bachelors degree as a minimum then you have you an answer (not the only one)

The main consideration though is finances. Both routes can cost a considerable amount of money though if you are based in the UK as I am then you can gain financial aid covering the cost of a degree (give or take a bit depending on circumstances) but there is little to no financial aid for certifications. I don't know what country you are from but have a look at what support you can get aswell.

I went through the same thing a few year ago when I decided to retrain and had three choices really - Full time degree, part time degree or certification. The decision was really made by finances as there is support for those who wish to do a degree but pretty much none for certification. So decided to jump in full time and get a bachelors degree which was the best decision I have made in a long time.

Take note though that whatever route you decided to do will only give you as much as you put into it! The main reason I got my new job not the degree but the additional learning I did in my spare time.

One last point is that it is usually not an either or with school or certs. Degrees cover a very large area but often at a very shallow level so you will likely find that you end up doing certs anyway afterwards to gain a more indepth knowledge in particular areas.

Good luck in whatever route you choose!