2026 Best Disability Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Disability Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best disability studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Disability Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Best Schools for Disability Studies in the Great Lakes Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the disability studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Disability Studies

1

University Of Wisconsin Madison
Madison, WI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

176 Disability Studies Degrees Awarded

$28,841 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of Wisconsin Madison this year for disability studies. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 90%. University Of Wisconsin Madison awarded about 176 disability studies degrees in the most recent data year. Disability Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $28,841 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $19,750. See the full disability studies program report for University Of Wisconsin Madison

2

University Of Illinois At Chicago
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

41 Disability Studies Degrees Awarded

$33,366 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Chicago one of the top schools for disability studies. This very large public university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 41 disability studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, disability studies degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $33,366. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates carry a median of $19,448 in student loans. More information about a degree in disability studies from University Of Illinois At Chicago

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.