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Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee

11 Colleges
$49,761 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education Master's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, special education students earned 354 degrees and certificates from a Tennessee school, making the subject the 6th in the state.

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Teaching Degree Search has created its Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in Tennessee to see which master's degree 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 Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee

Check out the special ed master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Our 2023 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best school in Tennessee for special education students working on their master’s degree. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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#2

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN

The excellent master’s degree programs at Freed-Hardeman University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Tennessee. FHU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Henderson.

Full Special Education at Freed-Hardeman University Report

#3

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

The excellent master’s degree programs at Lipscomb University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Tennessee. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

Read full report on Special Education at Lipscomb University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro.

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#5

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, TN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carson - Newman University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Carson - Newman is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City.

Full Special Education at Carson - Newman University Report

#6

Lee University

Cleveland, TN

Lee University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree special education programs. Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Special Education at Lee University Report

Christian Brothers University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Christian Brothers is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis.

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With a ranking of #8, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their master’s degree. Located in the town of Harrogate, LMU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on Special Education at Lincoln Memorial University

Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the large city of Nashville, TNU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Special Education at Trevecca Nazarene University

#10

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN

East Tennessee State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree special education programs. Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

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 Degrees Awarded
Kentucky 608
North Carolina 477
Florida 1,103
Georgia 550
Virginia 1,238
West Virginia 46
South Carolina 266
Arkansas 351
Louisiana 103
Mississippi 269
Alabama 437

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 11 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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