by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 36,792 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 5,829 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,069 and $23,433 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 855 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,112 and $26,227 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. That schools that top this list have a program in special education in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is located in Chickasha, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New Mexico Highlands University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. This small school is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Full New Mexico Highlands University Special Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 471 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at Grand Canyon University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ottawa University - Phoenix. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. Ottawa University - Phoenix is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 5 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Arizona University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s 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%.
MSU Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #6. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Ottawa University - Surprise ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Ottawa University - Surprise is located in Surprise, Arizona and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Prescott College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Prescot College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Prescott, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Abilene Christian University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Abilene Christian is located in Abilene, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Abilene Christian University
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 111 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Northeastern State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Northeastern State University is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad 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 Northeastern State University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Alva, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
University of Central Oklahoma came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Central Oklahoma Special Education Report
Oklahoma Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #14. Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Read more about Special Education at Oklahoma Baptist University
Oral Roberts University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. ORU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 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%.
Our Lady of the Lake University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. OLLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Arizona
Southwestern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. SWOSU is a small public school situated in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It awarded 3 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Southwestern Oklahoma State University Special Education Report
University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 13 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #21, Baylor University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Baylor is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 11 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 87%.
With a ranking of #23, Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Texas Christian University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Western New Mexico University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Western New Mexico University is a small public school situated in Silver City, New Mexico. It awarded 1 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at Western New Mexico University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
