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2024 Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

101 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
6,264 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$42,394 Avg Early-Career Salary
Special Education is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #29 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 101 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for special education students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,264 degrees in special education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region The special ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Special Education rankings. For our Best Overall Special Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Special Education Rankings by 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Special Education in the Great Lakes Region

The schools below may not offer all types of special ed degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Special Ed

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

It's hard to beat Ball State University if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Ball State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Muncie. A Best Colleges rank of #205 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were about 1870 special education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from Ball State University earn a boost of around $5,722 above the typical income of special education graduates.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

Illinois State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 214 special education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, special ed degree recipients usually earn an average of $43,480 at the beginning of their careers.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
25.0% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a good decision for students interested in a degree in special education. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 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 receive their degree from the special ed program make around $43,613 in their early career salary.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Dayton if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UDayton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 41 special education students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,471.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Dayton

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 special education students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, special ed degree recipients generally earn around $41,945 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,896 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 38 special education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, special ed degree recipients generally make around $41,896 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, MI

Hope is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Holland. This college ranks 8th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 28 special education students who graduated with this degree at Hope in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, special ed degree recipients usually make an average of $39,887 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Hope College

8
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
3.7% Growth in Graduates
$39,276 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 special education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $39,276 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Purdue University - Main Campus

9
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In IL
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 16 special education students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Loyola University Chicago

10
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
133 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,643 Median Starting Salary

UW - Eau Claire is a large public university located in the small city of Eau Claire. This university ranks 5th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 133 special education students who graduated with this degree at UW - Eau Claire in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $40,643.

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

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
256 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$34,875 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 256 special education students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $34,875 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 90 special education students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education major at Michigan State University make $3,609 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,322 Median Starting Salary

Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Peoria. This university ranks 14th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 8 special education students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $38,322 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in special education from Bradley University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,428 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #166 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were about 156 special education students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make around $41,428 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

15
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,909 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 59 special education students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $40,909.

More information about a degree in special education from Central Michigan University


 

Honorable Mentions

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 in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
16 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
17 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
18 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
19 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
20 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
21 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
22 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
23 Ashland University Ashland, OH
24 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI
25 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 596
Ohio 314 1,286
Illinois 304 1,090
Indiana 294 1,835
Wisconsin 273 527

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Special Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 3,326
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,284
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 369
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 296
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 200
Other Special Education & Teaching 177
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 119
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 106
Education of the Deaf 93
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 83

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 14,087
Teacher Education Subject Specific 7,501
Educational Administration 6,938
General Education 3,130
Curriculum & Instruction 2,820
Student Counseling 1,315
Instructional Media Design 1,004
Teaching English or French 510
Multilingual Education 501
Other Education 494

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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