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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

74 Ranked Colleges
204 Degrees Awarded
$91,539 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 204 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking, we looked at 74 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree special ed students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education

1
Gallaudet crest
Gallaudet University
Washington, District of Columbia

Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Gallaudet University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Special Education at Gallaudet University

2

Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #2 spot on the list. Teachers College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Teachers College

3
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 9 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at SRU

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Colorado. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large school located in Greeley, Colorado that handed out 7 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of Northern Colorado Special Education Report

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #5 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 9 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Vanderbilt University Special Education Report

6
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Saint Louis University Special Education Report

7

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro is located in San Juan, and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro Special Education Report

8
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full KU Special Education Report

9
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Special Education at Duquesne

10
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #10. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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.

Full Chapman University Special Education Report

11

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Special Education Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Special Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

13

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. UNLV is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 University of Nevada - Las Vegas

14

With a ranking of #14, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 95%.

Full Columbia Special Education Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Texas Woman’s University is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Texas Woman’s University Special Education Report

16
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 4 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Special Education Report

17
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Special Education at Wazzu

18
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #18, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of San Francisco

19
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #19. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 87%.

Full Texas Tech University Special Education Report

20

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 9 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 more about Special Education at UT Austin

21
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Special Education at GWU

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #22, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 4 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Special Education at U of U

23

Utah State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at USU

24
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Toledo Special Education Report

25
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Clemson University Special Education Report

Notes and References

References

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