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2024 Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee

16 Colleges in Tennessee
354 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$39,838 Avg Early-Career Salary
Special Education is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #29 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 354 degrees in special education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee Your choice of special education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Special Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Special Education Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Special Education in Tennessee

The schools below may not offer all types of special ed degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Special Ed

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$47,195 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in special education needs to take a look at Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 54 special education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education major at Vanderbilt University earn $7,357 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from Vanderbilt University

2
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN

It is difficult to beat Lipscomb University if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #577 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lipscomb is a great university overall.

There were approximately 29 special education students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from Lipscomb University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,384 over the typical income of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from Lipscomb University

3
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN

Lee University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in special education. Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #950 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Lee University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 14 special education students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $37,093 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from Lee University

4
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
69 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in special education has to look into University of Memphis. UofM is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #748 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 special education students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $39,898 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Memphis

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In TN
38 Special Ed Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were roughly 38 special education students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

6
Carson - Newman crest
Carson - Newman University
Jefferson City, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN

Carson - Newman is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Jefferson City. A Best Colleges rank of #795 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carson - Newman is a great university overall.

There were about 25 special education students who graduated with this degree at Carson - Newman in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Carson - Newman University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,691 Median Starting Salary
$21,200 Median Student Debt

Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #866 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Middle Tennessee State University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 special education students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make around $37,691 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Middle Tennessee State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In TN

FHU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Henderson. This university ranks 25th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 8 special education students who graduated with this degree at FHU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Freed-Hardeman University

9

Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 special education students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, special ed degree recipients typically earn about $33,928 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from East Tennessee State University

10
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In TN
57.1% Growth in Graduates

Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Jackson. A Best Colleges rank of #579 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Union is a great university overall.

There were roughly 7 special education students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Union University


 

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 423
Florida 282 999
North Carolina 279 372
Virginia 274 994
South Carolina 248 255
Kentucky 244 573
Louisiana 242 68
Mississippi 234 269
Arkansas 234 274
Alabama 233 404
West Virginia 207 46

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 318
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 13
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 8
Other Special Education & Teaching 6
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 3
Elementary Special Education 3
Education of the Deaf 1
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 1
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 1

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 1,526
Educational Administration 1,225
General Education 605
Curriculum & Instruction 546
Teacher Education Subject Specific 421
Student Counseling 239
Teaching English or French 146
Instructional Media Design 65
Other Education 35
Educational Assessment 12

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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