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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed

22 Ranked Colleges
1,152 Degrees Awarded
$26,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed” 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 Florida, there were 1,152 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,953 and $21,260 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great special education programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the special education program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed

The colleges and universities below are the best for florida vets studying special ed.

Top 22 Best Special Education Colleges for Veterans in Florida

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 87 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UF supports 53,372 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at UF]](/colleges/university-of-florida/student-life/veterans/)

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 43,569 students enrolled at Florida State University, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,819. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Florida State Veteran Student Life Report

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, USF Tampa supports 50,626 students, and 2,211 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,241 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,943. During this same period, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. USF Tampa offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Veteran Student Life Report

4
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Miami landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Coral Gables, Florida. It awarded 27 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

U Miami also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 17,809 students enrolled at U Miami, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,198. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full U Miami Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 123 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 71,881 students enrolled at University of Central Florida, 2,263 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,216 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,995. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 92%.

Full University of Central Florida Veteran Student Life Report

6
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 31 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UNF also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 16,926 students enrolled at UNF, 1,067 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 616 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,959. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 UNF Veteran Student Life Report

7

Florida International University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,079 of the 58,836 students enrolled at Florida International University were GI Bill® students, of which 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,771. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at FIU]](/colleges/florida-international-university/student-life/veterans/)

8

With a ranking of #8, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. The University of West Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 303 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UWF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 13,061 students enrolled at The University of West Florida, 1,438 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 750 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,810. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of West Florida offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of West Florida]](/colleges/the-university-of-west-florida/student-life/veterans/)

9
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #9, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. FAU is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 26 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 708 of the 30,805 students enrolled at FAU were GI Bill® students, of which 397 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,153. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full Florida Atlantic University Veteran Student Life Report

10
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Broward College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking. Broward College is a large public school situated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It awarded 66 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

BC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 33,243 students enrolled at Broward College, 1,018 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 645 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,167. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Broward College]](/colleges/broward-college/student-life/veterans/)

11
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Nova Southeastern University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

NUS Florida not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 20,888 students enrolled at NUS Florida, 522 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 335 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,213. During this same period, 70 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

12
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #12. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

MDC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Miami Dade College supports 46,523 students, and 907 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 607 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,371. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Miami Dade College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

13

With a ranking of #13, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. FGCU is a public institution located in Fort Myers, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FGCU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 362 of the 15,358 students enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University were GI Bill® students, of which 232 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,284. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

14
St. Leo University crest
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, Florida

Saint Leo University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking. Located in Saint Leo, Florida, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Leo University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Saint Leo University supports 9,832 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,916. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Leo University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Leo University]](/colleges/saint-leo-university/student-life/veterans/)

15
Flagler St. Augustine crest
Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida

Flagler College - St Augustine ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Flagler St. Augustine is located in Saint Augustine, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Flagler St. Augustine, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,687 students enrolled at Flagler St. Augustine, 130 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,461. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

16
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #16, Barry University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Barry University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our florida vets studying special ed list, Barry University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,515 students enrolled at Barry University, 22 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,141. To help with additional expenses, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Barry University Veteran Student Life Report

17
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking. Located in Clearwater, Florida, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our florida vets studying special ed list, SPC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,430 students enrolled at SPC, 1,273 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 820 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,870. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at St Petersburg College]](/colleges/st-petersburg-college/student-life/veterans/)

18
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

With a ranking of #18, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Pierce, Florida. It awarded 12 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Indian River State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 15,236 students enrolled at Indian River State College, 539 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 315 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,800. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Indian River State College Veteran Student Life Report

19
Daytona State College crest
Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, Florida

Daytona State College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Daytona State College is a fairly large school located in Daytona Beach, Florida that handed out 9 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Daytona State College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Daytona State College supports 12,728 students, and 639 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 417 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,263. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

20

Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 13 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

FSCJ also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,072 of the 22,344 students enrolled at FSCJ were GI Bill® students, of which 1,533 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,070. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

21
Florida Memorial University crest
Florida Memorial University
Miami Gardens, Florida

With a ranking of #21, Florida Memorial University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. Located in Miami Gardens, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our florida vets studying special ed list, Florida Memorial University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 928 students enrolled at Florida Memorial University, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,345. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida Memorial University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Florida Memorial University Veteran Student Life Report

22
SEU crest
Southeastern University
Lakeland, Florida

With a ranking of #22, Southeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Florida for Special Ed list. SEU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Lakeland, Florida. It awarded 55 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

SEU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Southeastern University supports 9,546 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,265. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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