2024 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in California
Special Education is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #8 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 26 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,393 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree
The special ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality special ed program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on special education students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other special education students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for special education to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized special education related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for special education students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The special ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in California.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in California
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.
10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Special Ed
It's hard to beat National University if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.
Master's recipients from the special education major at National University get $2,480 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in special education from National University
It's hard to beat California State University - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public university with a very large student population.
Special Education master's degree recipients from California State University - Los Angeles earn a boost of approximately $20,664 over the typical earnings of special education majors.
More information about a master’s in special education from California State University - Los Angeles
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education needs to check out Loyola Marymount University. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
After graduation, special ed master's recipients typically make about $58,018 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in special education from Loyola Marymount University
Brandman University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the large city of Irvine, Brandman is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in special education from Brandman University
Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population.
Special Education master's degree recipients from California State University - Long Beach receive an earnings boost of around $6,831 over the typical earnings of special education majors.
More information about a master’s in special education from California State University - Long Beach
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