by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes region, there were 6,264 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,394 and $26,337 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 154 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region special ed students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ball State University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 1,870 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Notre Dame College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity Christian College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 37 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Muskingum University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region. Muskingum is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Concord, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at Muskingum University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Mary of the Woods, Indiana. It awarded 46 ’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.
With a ranking of #6, Mount Vernon Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Vernon, Ohio. It awarded 43 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at Mount Vernon Nazarene University
University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. UW - Superior is a public institution located in Superior, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Wisconsin - Superior Special Education Report
Cardinal Stritch University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Cardinal Stritch is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 31 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
University of Rio Grande landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rio Grande, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Rio Grande
National Louis University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Ann Arbor came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Concordia University, Ann Arbor is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Special Education at Concordia University, Ann Arbor
Bluffton University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bluffton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bluffton, Ohio. It awarded 11 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Marietta College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Marietta College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marietta, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 256 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Special Education Report
Malone University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Malone is a small school located in Canton, Ohio that handed out 23 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Ashland University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of St. Francis Fort Wayne is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at University of St. Francis Fort Wayne
Marian University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #19, Carroll University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Carroll University is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s special ed degrees to qualified 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%.
Shawnee State University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Portsmouth, Ohio, and it awarded 28 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #21, Greenville University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Greenville University is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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 full report on Special Education at Greenville University
American College of Education came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. American College of Education is a medium-sized school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 157 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at American College of Education
With a ranking of #23, Hope College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hope is a private not-for-profit institution located in Holland, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Dominican University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Youngstown State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 84 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Special Education at Youngstown State University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
