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2024 Best Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania

45 Colleges in Pennsylvania
1,872 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$44,151 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.

College Factual looked at 45 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,872 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 in Pennsylvania Your choice of special education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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

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 Best Special Education Schools in Pennsylvania list to help you make the college decision. 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 Pennsylvania

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.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Special Ed

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$47,077 Median Starting Salary

West Chester University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. WCUPA is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of West Chester. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 152 special education students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from West Chester University of Pennsylvania get an earnings boost of approximately $2,925 above the average income of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania

2
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in special education has to check out Saint Joseph's University. St. Joe's is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #157 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means St. Joe's is a great university overall.

There were roughly 157 special education students who graduated with this degree at St. Joe's in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from Saint Joseph's University get an earnings boost of about $4,993 over the typical income of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from Saint Joseph’s University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$43,694 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Millersville University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 50th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 89 special education students who graduated with this degree at Millersville in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $43,694 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania

4
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA

It is difficult to beat Messiah University if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Messiah is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #555 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Messiah is a great university overall.More information about a degree in special education from Messiah University

5
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.More information about a degree in special education from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$44,750 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the small suburb of Annville, LVC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #621 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means LVC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 15 special education students who graduated with this degree at LVC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $44,750 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Lebanon Valley College

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

SRU is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Slippery Rock. A Best Colleges rank of #546 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SRU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 227 special education students who graduated with this degree at SRU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $39,646 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in special education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

8
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
29th Most Popular In PA

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #228 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duquesne is a great university overall.

There were about 12 special education students who graduated with this degree at Duquesne in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Duquesne University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$43,597 Median Starting Salary

Clarion University is a small public university located in the town of Clarion.

There were about 38 special education students who graduated with this degree at Clarion University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $43,597.

More information about a degree in special education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania

9
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$48,960 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #71 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lehigh is a great university overall.

There were approximately 10 special education students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at Lehigh University earn $4,809 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from Lehigh University


 

Best Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 333 4,110
Maryland 279 337
New Jersey 273 722
District of Columbia 188 88
Delaware 175 165

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 1,437
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 242
Elementary Special Education 67
Other Special Education & Teaching 49
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 41
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 11
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 8
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 7
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 6
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 3

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 3,873
Educational Administration 1,858
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,794
General Education 1,014
Student Counseling 579
Instructional Media Design 423
Curriculum & Instruction 393
Other Education 269
Teaching English or French 248
Educational Assessment 70

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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