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Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$27,153 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$52,785 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

Special Education is one of the most popular subjects to study in Washington. With 238 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 5th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are so many teaching programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 Value Special Education Schools in Washington ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Washington to see which programs offered the best value experiences for special ed students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for special ed majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

$8,703 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Western Washington University to be the best value school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in Washington. Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WWU are $8,703 a year. After completing their degree, special ed graduates from WWU carry an average student debtload of $26,870. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $168.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, WWU is ranked #5 for overall quality for special ed in Washington.

Full Special Education at Western Washington University Report

$8,685 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Central Washington University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington list. CWU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Ellensburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CWU are $8,685 a year.

Read More…

$7,922 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Washington University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington list. EWU is a fairly large public school located in the fringe town of Cheney.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EWU are $7,922 a year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at EWU take out is $18,333.

Read full report on Special Education at Eastern Washington University

#4

Seattle University

Seattle, WA
$49,335 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Seattle University is a great value for special education students. Seattle U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Seattle U are $49,335 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Seattle University

$12,417 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Washington State University is a great value for special education students. Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wazzu are $12,417 per year.

Wazzu also took the #2 spot in our Best Special Education Schools in Washington rankings.

Read full report on Special Education at Washington State University

#6

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA
$47,590 Average Tuition & Fees

Whitworth University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Whitworth is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Spokane.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Whitworth are $47,590 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Whitworth University

$12,076 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. UW Seattle is a fairly large public school located in the city of Seattle.

UW Seattle undergraduate students pay an average of $12,076 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#8

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA
$48,470 Average Tuition & Fees

Gonzaga University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Gonzaga is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Spokane.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gonzaga are $48,470 a year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at Gonzaga accumulate an average of around $25,500 in student debt.

Read More…

$35,646 Average Tuition & Fees

Seattle Pacific University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Seattle, SPU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SPU are $35,646 a year.

Full Special Education at Seattle Pacific University Report

$40,690 Average Tuition & Fees

Saint Martin’s University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Washington ranking. Saint Martin's is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lacey.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Martin’s are $40,690 per year.

Read full report on Special Education at Saint Martin’s University

Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Oregon 234
California 2,861
Nevada 215
Hawaii 49
Alaska 52

Special Education is one of 14 different types of teaching programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

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 10 schools only.

  • 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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