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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in California

34 Ranked Colleges
1,393 Degrees Awarded
$60,340 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California” 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.

Across California, there were 3,154 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,751 and $17,326 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,393 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in special education. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their special education program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in California

1
Alliant crest
Alliant International University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alliant International University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Alliant is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 94 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Alliant Special Education Report

2
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Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Notre Dame de Namur University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. NDNU is located in Belmont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NDNU Special Education Report

3
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National University
La Jolla, California

Out of the 34 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 431 diplomas to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 more about Special Education at National University

4
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Touro University California
Vallejo, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Touro University California. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Vallejo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Special Education at TUC

5
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University of Redlands
Redlands, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Redlands. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 University of Redlands Special Education Report

6
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Brandman University
Irvine, California

Brandman University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Brandman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 103 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Brandman

7
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Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. HNU is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 6 masters’s special ed degrees 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Special Education at HNU

8
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Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at PLNU

9
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 40 students 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 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%.

Read full report on Special Education at Loyola Marymount University

10

California State University - East Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 65 diplomas to qualified masters’s special ed students 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 Cal State East Bay Special Education Report

11

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 49 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at California State University - San Bernardino

13
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University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 24 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about Special Education at ULV

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

15
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. Chapman University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 23 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Chapman

16
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 masters’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%.

Full SFSU Special Education Report

17

California State University - Fresno landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 42 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Fresno State

18
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Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 10 masters’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%.

Read more about Special Education at Fresno Pacific

19

California State University - San Marcos came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Special Education at CSUSM

20
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking. CLU is a small school located in Thousand Oaks, California that handed out 8 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full CLU Special Education Report

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 22 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Special Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills

22
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Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #22, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

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. 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 MSMU

23
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Biola University
La Mirada, California

With a ranking of #23, Biola University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Biola

24

California State University - Northridge ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full CSUN Special Education Report

25
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Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California

Dominican University of California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Rafael, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Special Education at Dominican University of California

Notes and References

References

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