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2024 Best Special Education Schools

602 Colleges in the United States
36,792 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$45,679 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in special education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #29 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 602 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Special Education Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 36,792 degrees in special education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools Your choice of special education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Special Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Special Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Special Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Special Education in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the special ed degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Special Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

Illinois State University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in special education. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 87 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 214 special education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $43,480 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in special education from Illinois State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
42.6% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in special education needs to look into Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 47 special education students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University earn a boost of approximately $19,544 over the typical income of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from Johns Hopkins University

3
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
360 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Hunter College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. Located in the city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 23rd out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 360 special education students who graduated with this degree at Hunter in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from Hunter College make $23,635 more than the average special ed student.

More information about a degree in special education from Hunter College

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
8.6% Growth in Graduates

Western Washington University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. WWU is a large public university located in the small city of Bellingham. This university ranks 5th out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 93 special education students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at Western Washington University make $3,574 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from Western Washington University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$77,922 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.

There were about 69 special education students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from Teachers College at Columbia University receive $32,243 more than the standard special ed student.

More information about a degree in special education from Teachers College at Columbia University

6
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$47,195 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 54 special education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $47,195 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from Vanderbilt University

7
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
13.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Towson, Towson is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 231 special education students who graduated with this degree at Towson in the most recent year we have data available. Those special education students who get their degree from Towson University receive $6,544 more than the typical special ed graduate.

More information about a degree in special education from Towson University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
14.5% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #48 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 special education students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from George Washington University earn a boost of about $13,070 above the average income of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from George Washington University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,870 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Ball State is a very large public university located in the city of Muncie. This university ranks 6th out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 1870 special education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available. Those special education students who get their degree from Ball State University make $2,438 more than the standard special ed student.

More information about a degree in special education from Ball State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
30.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 55 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 92 special education students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from University of St Thomas Minnesota earn a boost of around $3,802 above the typical income of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from University of St Thomas Minnesota

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
12.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 5th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were roughly 151 special education students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from The College of New Jersey get an earnings boost of around $11,475 over the typical income of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from The College of New Jersey

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
397 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$59,088 Median Starting Salary

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #120 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 397 special education students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of about $13,409 above the typical earnings of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from George Mason University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 69 special education students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $41,945 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Wisconsin - Madison

14
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
436 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
27.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 436 special education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at National University make $17,141 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from National University

15
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$52,873 Median Starting Salary

Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were approximately 64 special education students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education program at Syracuse University get $7,194 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from Syracuse University

16
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
244 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
27.5% Growth in Graduates

Brooklyn College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Brooklyn. This college ranks 44th out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 243.99999999999997 special education students who graduated with this degree at Brooklyn College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at Brooklyn College get $22,319 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in special education from Brooklyn College

17
Touro crest
Touro College
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
645 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
10.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, Touro is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 34th out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 645 special education students who graduated with this degree at Touro in the most recent year we have data available. Those special education students who get their degree from Touro College make $15,248 more than the standard special ed grad.

More information about a degree in special education from Touro College

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 32 special education students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of about $19,605 over the average earnings of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

19
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, RI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,466 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Providence, Providence is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Providence is a great college overall.

There were about 43 special education students who graduated with this degree at Providence in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $40,466 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Providence College

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,055 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 84 special education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education major at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $2,376 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
43.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, Bank Street College of Education is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were roughly 55 special education students who graduated with this degree at Bank Street College of Education in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from Bank Street College of Education receive an earnings boost of approximately $16,273 over the average earnings of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from Bank Street College of Education

22
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$49,990 Median Starting Salary
$25,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 4th out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 22 special education students who graduated with this degree at Gonzaga in the most recent year we have data available. Those special education students who get their degree from Gonzaga University make $4,311 more than the typical special ed grad.

More information about a degree in special education from Gonzaga University

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,896 Median Starting Salary

IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 38 special education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $41,896 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Indiana University - Bloomington

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
39.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 68 special education students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from Fordham University make $16,494 more than the average special ed grad.

More information about a degree in special education from Fordham University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 52 special education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $43,613.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rest of the Top 50 Best Special Education Schools

25
26
27
28
29
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
30
31
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, MI

32

33
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
34
35
36
37
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
38
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, MA
39
40
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY

41

42
43
44
45
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
46
47
48
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
49

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Special Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 602 different United States special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Simmons University Boston, MA
51 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
52 Morningside College Sioux City, IA
53 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
54 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
55 Pace University - New York New York, NY
56 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
57 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
58 Queens College Queens, NY
59 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
60 Brandman University Irvine, CA
61 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
62 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
63 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
64 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
65 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
66 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
67 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
68 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
69 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
70 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
71 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
72 Clemson University Clemson, SC
73 Bradley University Peoria, IL
74 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
75 Lehman College Bronx, NY
76 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
77 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
78 Winona State University Winona, MN
79 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
80 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
81 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
82 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
83 Minot State University Minot, ND
84 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
85 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
86 Seattle University Seattle, WA
87 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
88 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
89 Manhattan College Riverdale, NY
90 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Special Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
91 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
92 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
93 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
94 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
95 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
96 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
97 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
98 Baylor University Waco, TX
99 Hastings College Hastings, NE
100 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
101 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
102 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
103 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
104 Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL
105 Saint Martin’s University Lacey, WA
106 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
107 Ashland University Ashland, OH
108 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
109 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
110 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
111 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
112 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
113 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
114 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
115 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
116 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
117 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
118 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
119 Kean University Union, NJ
120 University of Redlands Redlands, CA

Special Education by Region

View the Best Special Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 24,497
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,111
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,789
Elementary Special Education 1,625
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,133
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 655
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 540
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 504
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 415

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832
Student Counseling 13,858
Instructional Media Design 8,695
Teaching English or French 5,791
Other Education 4,858
Teaching Assistants 2,751

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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