2021 Special Education Degree Guide

Brittany has Down syndrome and is in a special contained classroom. With the help of her teacher, Brittany learns many life skills that will help her live a happy and less dependent life.

Eric is autistic and has a hard time socializing. After several weeks, Eric is able to work better with his classmates because of the teaching aid and the teacher working together to modify instruction.

These are just a few examples of what Special Education teachers do every day. A major in Special Education focuses on designing educational services and teaching children with learning needs or disabilities. You will create individualized learning plans (IEP) and monitor your student's progress while also supporting each student emotionally and making sure that their needs are met. Your students will have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.

Some classes you could be required to take are behavior management, assistive technology, human development and learning, cultural and linguistic diversity, issues in special populations, issues in contemporary education, mild to moderate disabilities, moderate to severe disabilities, and assessment in special education.

There are many different concentrations within special education. In your major you can focus on hearing or vision impairment, gifted and talented education, emotional disturbances, multiple disabilities, orthopedic and other physical impairments, speech impairment, autism, developmental delays, brain trauma, and more.

Special Education Degrees Decreasing

In 2018-2019, special education was the 39th most popular major nationwide with 30,639 degrees awarded. This 489 less than the prior year, a decrease of 1.6%.

The United States has 485 different schools where you can get a degree in special education. This year's Best Colleges for Special Education ranking compares 123 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom special ed rankings further below.

What Are The Requirements For a Degree in Special Education

As a special education teacher there are certain skills needed in order to have a successful career. You need to be patient and willing to put in extra work and effort. Students with special needs usually require more patience and attention in certain areas depending on their individual needs. Although Special Education teachers are patient and understanding, they must also be assertive in advocating for students to receive the services and support they need. A good sense of humor will be very helpful in this field as well as being able to enjoy small successes. It will help you to be inclusive and celebratory of differences.

This field required you to have excellent interpersonal skills as you will be working with students, as well as other teachers, parents, administrators, and teacher aids. Teachers become heavily invested in the success of their students; you need to be able to persevere through difficult moments in order to achieve the happiness and growth of your student.

In order to become certified, you will need to complete a teacher certification program at your college. This program will prepare you for teaching as well put you in a classroom with a certified teacher to student teach. Along with student teaching, it is a good idea to work as a camp counselor, a coach, or even a tutor with special-needs students to help gain experience.

Getting Accepted Into a Special Education Program

special education degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific special ed careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Special Education Degree Types

Special Ed degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a research / scholarship based doctorate's in special education to something that takes less time like a associate's. The type of special ed degree you choose will determine how long it takes to get your diploma.

Degree	Credit Requirements	Typical Program Length
Associate Degree	60-70 credits	2 years
Bachelor’s Degree	120 credits	4 years
Master’s Degree	50-70 credits	1-3 years
Doctorate	Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation	At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to special ed, with approximately 50.4% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for special ed workers below.

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	52.9%
Master’s Degree	27.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	13.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate	2.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.8%

96.7% of special ed workers have at least a bachelor's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in special education have received.

The education level required is different depending on the special ed career you are seeking.

Special Ed Careers

Special Education teachers can work with a variety of students with different needs. There is a high demand for special education teachers in public and private schools. The growth seems to be mainly for students in kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools because students are getting diagnosed at earlier ages.

Solid Growth Projected for Special Ed Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your special ed degree? Special Education careers are expected to grow 9.0% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to special education.

Occupation Name	Projected Jobs	Expected Growth
Kindergarten or Elementary School Special Education Teachers	202,800	7.4%
Special Education Professors	141,600	7.4%
Middle School Special Education Teachers	95,700	7.2%
Interpreters and Translators	80,300	17.7%
Special Education Teachers	45,400	9.9%

Special Ed Degree Salary Potential

Special Education graduates between 2015-2017 reported earning an average of $43,879 in the 2017-2018 timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $21,300 to as high as $73,900. As you might expect, salaries for special ed graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

High Paying Careers for Special Ed Majors

Salaries for special education graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top 5 highest paying careers special ed grads often go into.

Occupation Name	Median Average Salary
Special Education Professors	$65,320
Middle School Special Education Teachers	$64,390
Kindergarten or Elementary School Special Education Teachers	$63,110
Special Education Teachers	$62,500
Special Education Preschool Teachers	$61,610

Getting Your Special Education Degree

With over 2,536 different special ed degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased special ed school rankings to help you with this.

Special Education Related Majors

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific	100,925
Educational Administration	44,381
Teacher Education Subject Specific	43,516
General Education	31,066
Curriculum & Instruction	18,767

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• O*NET Online

• Image Credit: By woodleywonderworks under License More about our data sources and methodologies.