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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

100 Ranked Colleges
2,218 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Special Education is the 39th most popular major in the country with 33,249 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,879 and had an average of $28,500 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,757 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,366 and $28,924 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,218 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 100 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great special education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

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 “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at UW - Madison

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Special Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Special Education at IU Bloomington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,828 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Special Education Report

With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Ohio State

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 32 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Special Education Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Special Education Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 58 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also took the #15 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read more about Special Education at UW Oshkosh

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,778 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Stout Special Education Report

With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.

Full SIUE Special Education Report

#12

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Special Education Report

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ball State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,487 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Special Education at Ball State University

#14

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 55 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, GVSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Grand Valley State University

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Illinois State University

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,316 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Special Education Report

#17

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #17, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $12,127 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Central Michigan University Special Education Report

#18

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northern Illinois University Special Education Report

#19

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in New Albany, Indiana, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $8,675 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - Southeast Special Education Report

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $9,842 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USI Special Education Report

With a ranking of #21, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,306 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Special Education at SIUC

#22

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $11,229 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Special Education Report

#23

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State Special Education Report

#24

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $14,526 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Special Education at WIU

#25

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Lewis University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lewis has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lewis.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Lewis

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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