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2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

407 Ranked Colleges
9,071 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 33,249 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,071 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 407 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (With Aid)

#1

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Out of the 407 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami Dade College landed the #1 spot on the list. Miami Dade College is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 53 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

MDC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,842 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid per year to attend MDC.

Read more about Special Education at Miami Dade College

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid per year to attend UF.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Florida Special Education Report

#3

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Governors University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. WGU is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 769 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, WGU is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Governors University is $9,805 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full WGU Special Education Report

Out of the 407 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 39 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $7,296 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

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 FIU Special Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

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 more about Special Education at UIUC

#6

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #6, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $7,406 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

Read more about Special Education at UWF

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 95%.

Read full report on Special Education at UW - Madison

#8

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Towson, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Towson, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Towson is $18,233 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Towson University Special Education Report

#9

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Broward College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Broward College is a public institution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Broward College is $12,649 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

Full Broward College Special Education Report

#10

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indian River State College is a public institution located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $2,003 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

Read full report on Special Education at Indian River State College

#11

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Appalachian State is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $13,920 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State University Special Education Report

#12

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 30 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,789 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 more about Special Education at Florida State

#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. West Lafayette, Indiana 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.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

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 full report on Special Education at Purdue

#14

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Special Education Report

#15

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Indiana University - Bloomington Special Education Report

#16

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

With a ranking of #16, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. FGCU is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Myers, Florida. It awarded 14 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,606 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid per year to attend FGCU.

Full FGCU Special Education Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #17 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

Read more about Special Education at UW - Eau Claire

#18

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

SUNY Old Westbury did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. SUNY Old Westbury is located in Old Westbury, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,557 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid per year to attend SUNY Old Westbury.

Read more about Special Education at SUNY Old Westbury

#19

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 48 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Whitewater is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Special Education at USF Tampa

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 58 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

Read more about Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

With a ranking of #22, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Special Education at BYU

#23

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $10,274 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full UCF Special Education Report

#24

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. RIC is a public institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Rhode Island College is $10,922 for bachelor’s degree special ed students with aid.

Read more about Special Education at Rhode Island College

#25

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #25, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $9,606 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Special Education at UNF

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#29

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida
#31

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#32

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#33

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#34

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#35

Nevada State College

Henderson, Nevada
#36

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#38

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#39

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#41

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina
#42

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#43

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#44

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#45

Georgia Gwinnett College

Lawrenceville, Georgia
#46

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#47

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#49

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#50

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY
52 Augusta University Augusta, GA
53 Utah State University Logan, UT
54 University of Puerto Rico - Cayey Cayey, PR
55 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
56 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
57 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
58 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
59 Winona State University Winona, MN
60 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
61 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
62 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA

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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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