It can work exceptionally well in the right circumstances. In general, I'd say make sure the college is reputable, and the qualification recognised and validated. If those requirements are met, and you are interested, I'd say go for it.
Here, I'm writing from experience, as I've actually taught in this type of environment, and I have to say that it is a fantastic form of enabling educational access, especially for people switching direction, or returning to school, in other words, "second-chance' education. It is designed for the demanding life of the "time poor" student, someone who cannot afford to waste hours commuting into college, who is often trying to juggle the competing demands of jobs, mortgages, families, partners, etc. It allows them the flexibility of attending online classes from the convenience of an office, or the comfort of their home; in some cases, this can mean curled up under a duvet (I've received emails telling me this is how some students attend class), or shouting at the dog who had tried to chew the computer cable. The classes are usually recorded and can be replayed at the student's convenience (yes, tedious, I know, but that was not usually possible in the older face-to-face set-up, and I know teachers who, to this day, will not permit their classes to be recorded.)
The (non) social aspect of online college life is, of course, a drawback, and it is generally one of the most attractive parts of college life. However, my experience suggests that most of the students who take these courses are extremely pressed for time anyway, and socialising is not something they would have a lot of time for given the fairly fearsome time demands most of them are under. They also tend to be very committed, very hard-working, and, quite rightly, ask a lot of the academic and support staff. Yes, there is little face to face interaction; however, there are "virtual" office hours, where I am obliged to respond to emails more or less immediately, and, outside of that, am required to respond to emails from students within a twenty-four hour period if at all possible. Face to face intensive sessions do occur at certain times of the year, and often, for revision classes as well. Additionally, each cohort of students, and each subject, tend to have their own, pretty active forums.
It is not a set-up which suits everybody, but for time pressed adults seeking further qualifications, it can be very successful. Hope that is of some help, cheers and god luck with it.
