Graduate Certificates in Special Education
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Education Levels of Special Ed Majors
In 2018-2019, 2,240 graduate certificates were awarded to special ed majors. This makes it the 3rd most popular graduate certificate program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in special ed at each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 18,013 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 8,866 |
Graduate Certificate | 2,240 |
Basic Certificate | 554 |
Associate’s Degree | 408 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 301 |
Doctor’s Degree | 257 |
Earnings of Special Ed Majors With Graduate Certificates
The median salary for graduates holding a graduate certificate in special ed is $50,100. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.
To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $44,875 to a high of $53,275.

Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a graduate certificate in special ed is $28,986. The length of time it takes you to graduate and what college you attend can affect this number quite a bit.
The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $29,986 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $23,020.

Those students who are paying back their debt on a 10-year repayment plan have a median monthly payment of $338.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their graduate certificate in special ed. About 88.7% of graduates with this degree are female.
Gender | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Men | 254 |
Women | 1,986 |

The racial-ethnic distribution of special ed graduate certificate students is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 69 |
Black or African American | 157 |
Hispanic or Latino | 178 |
White | 1,668 |
International Students | 20 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 148 |

Most Popular Special Ed Programs for Graduate Certificates
There are 273 colleges that offer a graduate certificate in special ed. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
Ball State University tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for special ed majors who are seeking their graduate certificate. Roughly 22,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,358 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,850 per year.
The special ed program at Ball State University awarded 276 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. About 94% of this group were women, and 26% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
George Mason University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Each year, around 37,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,060 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,144 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 116 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at GMU. About 88% of this group were women, and 31% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Southern California comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Each year, around 48,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,256 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $46,272 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 90 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at USC. About 82% of this group were women, and 59% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Liberty University is the 4th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Roughly 85,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,417 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,980 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 57 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at Liberty University. Of these students, 95% were women and 25% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Pennsylvania State University - World Campus is the 5th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Roughly 0 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,484 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $21,682 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 50 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at Penn State World Campus. Around 12% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 98% were women.
Concordia University, Saint Paul is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Each year, around 5,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $22,800 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,550 per year.
The special ed program at Concordia University, Saint Paul awarded 43 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 84% were women and 9% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Saint Cloud State University is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Each year, around 13,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,394 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,460 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 43 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from St. Cloud State University. About 88% of this group were women, and 9% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Massachusetts - Boston comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Each year, around 15,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,187 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,433 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 41 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at UMass Boston. About 83% of this group were women, and 15% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Hunter College is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Roughly 23,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,930 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,090 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 41 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from Hunter. About 88% of this group were women, and 22% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 10th most popular school in the country for special ed majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is Arkansas State University - Main Campus. Roughly 13,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,540 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,986 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 38 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from A-State. Around 5% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 79% were women.
University of West Georgia comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Roughly 13,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,371 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,338 per year.
The special ed program at University of West Georgia awarded 36 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Around 47% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 97% were women.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Roughly 28,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,788 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,583 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 35 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at University of Oklahoma. Of these students, 97% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Illinois State University is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Roughly 20,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,547 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,956 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 32 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from Illinois State. Around 16% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 91% were women.
The 14th most popular school in the country for special ed majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is Northern Arizona University. Each year, around 30,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,018 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,305 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 30 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from NAU. Of these students, 87% were women and 20% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Adelphi University comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Roughly 7,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $38,470 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $41,920 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 30 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from Adelphi. Of these students, 87% were women and 20% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 16th most popular school in the country for special ed majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Roughly 39,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,476 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,790 per year.
The special ed program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus awarded 28 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Around 4% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 93% were women.
University of Kansas is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Roughly 27,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,092 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,989 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 28 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from KU. About 89% of this group were women, and 14% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of West Alabama comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Each year, around 5,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,100 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,678 per year.
The special ed program at University of West Alabama awarded 26 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 88% were women and 42% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Hamline University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in special ed. Each year, around 3,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $41,734 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,596 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 26 graduate certificates were handed out to special ed majors at Hamline.
Lehman College is the 20th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in special ed. Each year, around 15,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,930 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,090 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 25 people received their graduate certificate in special ed from Lehman. About 68% of this group were women, and 40% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Special Ed Focus Areas
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
General Special Education | 1,007 |
Teaching for Autism | 458 |
Teaching for Gifted & Talented | 188 |
Other Special Education & Teaching | 143 |
Teaching for Learning Disabilities | 80 |
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to special ed that offer graduate certificates.
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Educational Administration | 9,171 |
Teacher Education Grade Specific | 3,548 |
Teacher Education Subject Specific | 2,112 |
Curriculum & Instruction | 1,230 |
General Education | 1,224 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By woodleywonderworks under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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