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2024 Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky

12 Colleges in Kentucky
621 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,335 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 621 degrees in special education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

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 Kentucky list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Special Education in Kentucky

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Kentucky Schools in Special Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
35.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Kentucky is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Located in the large city of Lexington, UK is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #230 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UK is a great university overall.

There were about 51 special education students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $37,223.

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

2
Bellarmine U crest
Bellarmine University
Louisville, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,409 Median Starting Salary
$26,737 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat Bellarmine University if you want to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the large city of Louisville, Bellarmine U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #682 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Bellarmine U is a great university overall.

There were about 21 special education students who graduated with this degree at Bellarmine U in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $35,409.

More information about a degree in special education from Bellarmine University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KY
112 Special Ed Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of the Cumberlands if you want to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the remote town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #434 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cumberlands is a great university overall.

There were approximately 112 special education students who graduated with this degree at Cumberlands in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from University of the Cumberlands

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,971 Median Starting Salary

University of Louisville is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in special education. UofL is a very large public university located in the city of Louisville. A Best Colleges rank of #338 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UofL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 19 special education students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at University of Louisville get $6,636 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 38 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 121 special education students who graduated with this degree at Eastern in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $35,381.

More information about a degree in special education from Eastern Kentucky University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
2.7% Growth in Graduates

Murray State is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Murray. This university ranks 9th out of 38 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were about 37 special education students who graduated with this degree at Murray State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $35,577 in their early career salary.

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

7
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,446 Median Starting Salary

WKU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bowling Green. A Best Colleges rank of #903 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WKU is a great university overall.

There were about 46 special education students who graduated with this degree at WKU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $36,446.

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

7
Asbury crest
Asbury University
Wilmore, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In KY

Located in the fringe town of Wilmore, Asbury is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 38 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 9 special education students who graduated with this degree at Asbury in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Asbury University

8
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,569 Median Starting Salary
$30,488 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Highland Heights, NKU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #716 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NKU is a great university overall.

There were about 8 special education students who graduated with this degree at NKU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $35,569 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from Northern Kentucky University

9
Spalding crest
Spalding University
Louisville, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In KY

Located in the large city of Louisville, Spalding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 12th out of 38 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 7 special education students who graduated with this degree at Spalding in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Spalding University


 

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 423
Florida 282 999
North Carolina 279 372
Virginia 274 994
Tennessee 269 344
South Carolina 248 255
Louisiana 242 68
Mississippi 234 269
Arkansas 234 274
Alabama 233 404
West Virginia 207 46

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 508
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 58
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 24
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 20
Education of the Deaf 5
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed 5
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 1,653
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,129
Educational Administration 1,010
Student Counseling 355
Curriculum & Instruction 297
General Education 96
Teaching Assistants 72
Educational Assessment 65
Instructional Media Design 46
Teaching English or French 38

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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