by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 64 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for special education students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,080 master's degrees in special education during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
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:
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 take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for special education students working on their master's degree.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's hard to beat Ball State University if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. Ball State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Muncie.
Those special education students who get their master's degree from Ball State University receive $3,902 more than the standard special ed graduate.
More information about a master’s in special education from Ball State University
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education has to take a look at University of Wisconsin - Madison. UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Illinois State University is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal.More information about a master’s in special education from Illinois State University
It's difficult to beat Indiana University - Bloomington if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in special education from Indiana University - Bloomington
WMU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Kalamazoo.
Those special education students who get their master's degree from Western Michigan University receive $3,083 more than the standard special ed graduate.
More information about a master’s in special education from Western Michigan University
Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Dayton
UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.
Soon after graduation, special ed master's recipients typically make an average of $43,202 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $46,003 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in special education from Michigan State University
Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program report average early career income of $43,098.
More information about a master’s in special education from Miami University - Oxford
DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.
Special Education master's degree recipients from DePaul University get an earnings boost of around $7,170 above the average income of special education graduates.
More information about a master’s in special education from DePaul UniversityThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Ashland University | Ashland, OH |
| 11 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 12 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 13 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
| 14 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
| 15 | Carroll University | Waukesha, WI |
| 16 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI |
Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 4,630 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 2,841 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 2,753 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 2,532 |
| General Education | 1,376 |
| Student Counseling | 1,189 |
| Instructional Media Design | 748 |
| Multilingual Education | 296 |
| Teaching English or French | 240 |
| Other Education | 111 |
