by our College Data Analytics Team
[Special Education](/majors/education/special-education/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a special education degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find where special education graduates earn the most.
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If you want to know which schools send special education graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked West Chester University Of Pennsylvania the top school for special education graduate earnings in Pennsylvania. West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a public school located in the suburb of West Chester. Early-career special education graduates from West Chester University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $56,788 per year.
East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying special education schools. Located in the town of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Early-career special education graduates from East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $58,152 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania earned it the #3 place for special education. Set in the town of Kutztown, Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Special Education graduates of Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania earn a median of about $57,501 a year early in their careers.
York College Pennsylvania produces some of the highest-paid graduates in special education, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of York, York College Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the special education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,199.
Strong graduate earnings at Millersville University Of Pennsylvania earned it the #5 place for special education. Set in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. After graduating, special education degree recipients from Millersville University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $49,226 annually.
Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for special education. Located in the town of Shippensburg, Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Students who complete the special education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,835.
La Salle University landed the #7 spot for special education salaries this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, La Salle University is a private not-for-profit institution. Special Education graduates of La Salle University earn a median of about $48,302 a year early in their careers.
Mercyhurst College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying special education schools. Set in the city of Erie, Mercyhurst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career special education graduates from Mercyhurst College make a median of around $49,564 per year.
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earned the #9 position for special education graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Indiana, Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career special education graduates from Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus make a median of around $52,862 per year.
Alvernia University landed the #10 spot for special education salaries this year. Located in the city of Reading, Alvernia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career special education graduates from Alvernia University make a median of around $45,987 per year.
Neumann University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for special education. Set in the suburb of Aston, Neumann University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, special education degree recipients from Neumann University typically earn about $53,662 annually.
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot for special education salaries this year. Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a public school located in the town of Slippery Rock. Students who complete the special education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,371.
Thiel College came in at #13 for special education graduate earnings this year. Thiel College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Greenville. Special Education graduates of Thiel College earn a median of about $43,626 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries special education graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 13 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.