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Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region

8 Colleges

Finding the Best Special Education Basic Certificate 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.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which teaching program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Teaching Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which basic certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for teaching students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for special ed majors pursuing a basic certificate.

Top Great Lakes Region Schools for an Award Taking Less Than 1 Year in Special Education

Our analysis found University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a basic certificate in the Great Lakes Region . UW - Eau Claire is a large public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#2

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ball State University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Muncie.

Read full report on Special Education at Ball State University

Out of the 8 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the # 3 spot on the list. UWM is a very large public school located in the large city of Milwaukee.

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#4

Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Viterbo University is a great place for special education students working on their basic certificate. Viterbo is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Crosse.

Read full report on Special Education at Viterbo University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Special Education Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public school with a large student population.

Full Special Education at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Report

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate special education programs. Located in the town of Menomonie, UW - Stout is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Stout Report

#7

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI

Central Michigan University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate special education programs. Located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public school with a large student population.

Full Special Education at Central Michigan University Report

#8

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Saint Mary of the Woods, IN

With a ranking of #8, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their basic certificate. SMWC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Saint Mary of the Woods.

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Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Ohio 1,329
Illinois 1,153
Indiana 2,282
Michigan 607
Wisconsin 598

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

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 8 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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