2024 Best Special Education Schools in California
28
Colleges in California
3,154
Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$59,751
Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity,
special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 28 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for special education students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,154 degrees in special education during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Special Education School
The special ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Special Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Special Education Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Special Education Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Special Education in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Special Ed
National University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in special education. National University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #196 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means National University is a great university overall.
There were roughly 436 special education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from National University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,069 above the average earnings of special education majors.
More information about a degree in special education from National University
It's difficult to beat California State University - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 84th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 84 special education students who graduated with this degree at Cal State LA in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from California State University - Los Angeles get an earnings boost of approximately $21,253 above the average earnings of special education graduates.
More information about a degree in special education from California State University - Los Angeles
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
61st
Most Popular In CA
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 2 special education students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in special education from University of California - Berkeley
Every student who is interested in special education needs to take a look at Loyola Marymount University. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Marymount is a great university overall.
There were roughly 40 special education students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $58,018 for their early career.
More information about a degree in special education from Loyola Marymount University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In CA
103
Special Ed Degrees Awarded
Brandman University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 51st out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 103 special education students who graduated with this degree at Brandman in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in special education from Brandman University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
61st
Most Popular In CA
UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 2 special education students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in special education from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #186 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means CSULB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 28 special education students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education major at California State University - Long Beach make $7,420 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in special education from California State University - Long Beach
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
65th
Most Popular In CA
57
Special Ed Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #188 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SMC is a great college overall.
There were roughly 57 special education students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in special education from Saint Mary’s College of California
Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.
There were about 26 special education students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $53,287 for their early career.
More information about a degree in special education from Chapman University
Located in the large city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 69th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 19 special education students who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the special education program at Point Loma Nazarene University earn $10,400 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in special education from Point Loma Nazarene University