2023 Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree School for You
With 36,792 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, special education is the #4 most popular major in the United States.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for teaching students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Teaching Degree Search has created the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 395 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for teaching students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Special Education
Our analysis found Gonzaga University to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Located in the midsize city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out of the 395 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, The College of New Jersey landed the # 2 spot on the list. TCNJ is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Ewing.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Washington University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. WWU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Bellingham.
Special Ed majors at WWU take out an average of $25,415 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $168.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lebanon Valley College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. LVC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Annville.
For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $313.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Towson University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Towson, Towson is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Towson carry an average student debtload of $19,088. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $216, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Texas Christian University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Read full report on Special Education at Texas Christian University
Central Washington University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Ellensburg, CWU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Special Education at Central Washington University
With a ranking of #8, Syracuse University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse.
Hope College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Holland, Hope is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.
Full Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Special Ed majors at Illinois State take out an average of $19,363 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $201, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
York College of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of York.
Baylor University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. Baylor is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Waco.
Juniata College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Huntingdon, Juniata is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
With a ranking of #16, Dakota State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Madison, Dakota State is a public school with a small student population.
With a ranking of #17, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
On average, special ed graduates from Ship take out $24,639 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Minot State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.
Read full report on Special Education at Minot State University
Saint Joseph’s University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. St. Joe's is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
Seton Hall University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public college with a large student population.
Full Special Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania Report
Saint Martin’s University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Lacey, Saint Martin's is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Special Education at Saint Martin’s University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Millersville is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Millersville.
On average, special ed graduates from Millersville take out $28,347 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $205, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Special Education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report
Kean University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. Kean is a large public school located in the suburb of Union.
Special Ed majors at Kean take out an average of $25,905 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $264.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $25,063.
Full Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report
Rest of the Top Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 395 different United States special education schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 52 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 53 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 54 | Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall, MN |
| 55 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC |
| 56 | Hood College | Frederick, MD |
| 57 | Huntington University | Huntington, IN |
| 58 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 59 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI |
| 61 | Saint Edward’s University | Austin, TX |
| 62 | Thiel College | Greenville, PA |
| 63 | Lock Haven University | Lock Haven, PA |
| 64 | University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD |
| 65 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 66 | SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo, NY |
| 67 | Salve Regina University | Newport, RI |
| 68 | Martin Luther College | New Ulm, MN |
| 69 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 70 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 71 | Concordia University, Wisconsin | Mequon, WI |
| 72 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 73 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 74 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 75 | Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion, IN |
| 76 | Whitworth University | Spokane, WA |
| 77 | Chadron State College | Chadron, NE |
| 78 | Hastings College | Hastings, NE |
| 79 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
Special Education by Region
View the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Special Education Rankings
Special Education Related Rankings by Major
One of 14 majors within the teaching area of study, special education has other similar majors worth exploring.
Special Ed Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Special Education | 24,497 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs | 3,111 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities | 1,789 |
| Elementary Special Education | 1,625 |
| Other Special Education & Teaching | 1,227 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism | 1,133 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs | 655 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities | 540 |
| Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented | 504 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments | 415 |
| Education of the Deaf | 363 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances | 226 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed | 222 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs | 181 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness | 134 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities | 122 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments | 47 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries | 1 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110,226 |
| Educational Administration | 46,469 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,297 |
| General Education | 29,810 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 19,832 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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