by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Special Education is the 29th most popular major in the country with 36,792 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,679 and had an average of $24,977 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,368 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking analyzed 552 colleges that offered a degree in special education. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in special education.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American University of Puerto Rico. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Located in Bayamon, , this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Special Education at American University of Puerto Rico
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St. Joseph’s College - New York. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 139 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Read more about Special Education at St. Joseph’s College - New York
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Mary of the Woods, Indiana. It awarded 29 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Special Education Report
Out of the 552 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon is located in Bayamon, and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity Christian College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wells College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #6. Wells College is a small school located in Aurora, New York that handed out 6 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Hastings College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Hastings, Nebraska, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
SUNY Geneseo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Geneseo, New York, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #9, University of Rio Grande did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. University of Rio Grande is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rio Grande, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Special Education at University of Rio Grande
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This small school is located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Special Education at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 131 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Special Education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Thiel College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #12. Thiel College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greenville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northern State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Northern State University
With a ranking of #14, Bluffton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Bluffton is located in Bluffton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Marietta College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Marietta College is a small school located in Marietta, Ohio that handed out 11 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 214 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Special Education Report
William Peace University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at William Peace University
St. Bonaventure University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Saint Bonaventure, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Special Education at St. Bonaventure University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #19. Millersville is a public institution located in Millersville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Millersville University of Pennsylvania Special Education Report
With a ranking of #20, University of Maine at Farmington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This small school is located in Farmington, Maine, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Maine at Farmington
Juniata College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Huntingdon, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Notre Dame College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. NDC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 12 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Cortland landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. SUNY Cortland is a public institution located in Cortland, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad 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%.
Cabrini University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #24. Radnor, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #25, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Cheyney, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Full Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Special Education Report
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Morehead State University | Morehead, KY |
| 52 | SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury, NY |
| 53 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 54 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 55 | Mount Marty University | Yankton, SD |
| 56 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 57 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 58 | Mercyhurst University | Erie, PA |
| 59 | Dakota State University | Madison, SD |
| 60 | St. Andrews University | Laurinburg, NC |
| 61 | Granite State College | Concord, NH |
| 62 | Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY |
| 63 | Capital University | Columbus, OH |
| 64 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg, PA |
| 65 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Mars Hill University | Mars Hill, NC |
| 67 | Malone University | Canton, OH |
| 68 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 69 | Nevada State College | Henderson, NV |
| 70 | Lebanon Valley College | Annville, PA |
| 71 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 72 | Athens State University | Athens, AL |
| 73 | Lake Erie College | Painesville, OH |
| 74 | Keystone College | La Plume, PA |
| 75 | Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA |
| 76 | Missouri Baptist University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 77 | Hood College | Frederick, MD |
| 78 | Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, SD |
| 79 | Salve Regina University | Newport, RI |
| 80 | Erskine College | Due West, SC |
| 81 | Minot State University | Minot, ND |
| 82 | Roberts Wesleyan College | Rochester, NY |
| 83 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
