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Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

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2023 Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

552 Colleges
$38,520 Avg Salary
$25,108 Avg Student Debt

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.

The Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Teaching Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 552 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular bachelor's degree programs for teaching students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Special Education program at each school on the list.

Check out the special ed bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.

#1

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

Our analysis found Western Governors University to be the most popular school for special education students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Located in the suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Of the 836 students majoring in special ed at WGU, 12% are male and 88% are female.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at WGU accumulate an average of around $28,370 in student debt.

Read More…

#2

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Grand Canyon University is a great place for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

About 93% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 7% are male.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Grand Canyon University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $44,509. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $138.

Read More…

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular special education schools in the United States. Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 214 students majoring in special ed at BGSU, 7% are male and 93% are female.

Special Ed majors at BGSU take out an average of $25,441 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 $297.

Read full report on Special Education at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

#4

Towson University

Towson, MD

Out of the 552 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Towson University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Towson, Towson is a public school with a very large student population.

Of the 165 students majoring in special ed at Towson, 8% are male and 92% are female.

Special Ed majors at Towson take out an average of $19,088 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $216, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

About 89% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 11% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $19,363 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $201, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Special Education at Illinois State University

St. Joseph’s College - New York landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. SJC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Brooklyn.

Of the 139 students majoring in special ed at SJC, 8% are male and 92% are female.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at SJC take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,280. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $290, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. SRU is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Slippery Rock.

Of the 131 students majoring in special ed at SRU, 5% are male and 95% are female.

Special Ed majors at SRU take out an average of $25,312 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 $284.

Full Special Education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Report

#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

About 92% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 8% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Liberty University carry an average student debt load of $33,273.

Read full report on Special Education at Liberty University

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. ASU - Tempe is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe.

Of the 111 students majoring in special ed at ASU - Tempe, 16% are male and 84% are female.

On average, special ed graduates from ASU - Tempe take out $20,759 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 $396.

Full Special Education at Arizona State University - Tempe Report

With a ranking of #10, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public college with a large student population.

About 94% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 6% are male.

Read full report on Special Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#11

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ

Northern Arizona University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public college with a very large student population.

About 92% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 8% are male.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at NAU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,913. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $279, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#12

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA

Western Washington University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. WWU is a large public school located in the city of Bellingham.

Of the 93 students majoring in special ed at WWU, 6% are male and 94% are female.

On average, special ed graduates from WWU take out $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.

Full Special Education at Western Washington University Report

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

Women make up 93% of the special ed majors at the school.

On average, special ed graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $25,063 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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

#14

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, NY

SUNY Cortland did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the town of Cortland, SUNY Cortland is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Women make up 88% of the special ed majors at the school.

Full Special Education at SUNY Cortland Report

#15

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, NY

SUNY Geneseo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the distant town of Geneseo, SUNY Geneseo is a public school with a small student population.

Women make up 87% of the special ed majors at the school.

Full Special Education at SUNY Geneseo Report

#16

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH

Youngstown State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Youngstown.

Women make up 90% of the special ed majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Youngstown State University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $30,948.

Read full report on Special Education at Youngstown State University

#17

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

Auburn University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 76 students majoring in special ed at Auburn, 1% are male and 99% are female.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at Auburn accumulate an average of around $22,145 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $512.

Read full report on Special Education at Auburn University

#18

Utah State University

Logan, UT

With a ranking of #18, Utah State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. USU is a very large public school located in the city of Logan.

Of the 75 students majoring in special ed at USU, 7% are male and 93% are female.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at USU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,446.

Read More…

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for special education students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Akron.

Women make up 87% of the special ed majors at the school.

On average, special ed graduates from University of Akron Main Campus take out $24,942 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $218.

Full Special Education at University of Akron Main Campus Report

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school located in the fringe town of Kutztown.

Women make up 93% of the special ed majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Kutztown University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,733. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $277, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Special Education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Report

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Millersville is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Millersville.

Women make up 96% of the special ed majors at the school.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Millersville carry an average student debt load of $28,347. 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

The College of New Jersey came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. TCNJ is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Ewing.

Of the 69 students majoring in special ed at TCNJ, 7% are male and 93% are female.

Read More…

#23

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Broward College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. BC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale.

Of the 66 students majoring in special ed at BC, 12% are male and 88% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from BC carry an average student debt load of $17,294.

Full Special Education at Broward College Report

#24

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

University of Memphis landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

About 95% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 5% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from UofM carry an average student debt load of $22,449.

Read More…

The University of West Florida landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. UWF is a large public school located in the small city of Pensacola.

Women make up 97% of the special ed majors at the school.

On average, special ed graduates from UWF take out $28,347 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

#26

Ball State University

Muncie, IN
#34

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL
#36

Molloy College

Rockville Centre, NY
#37

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI
#40

Ashland University

Ashland, OH
#40

Morehead State University

Morehead, KY
#40

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL
#46

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI
#47

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA
#47

Providence College

Providence, RI
#50

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 552 different United States special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
52 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
53 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
54 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
54 University of Georgia Athens, GA
54 Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY
57 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
57 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
57 Kean University Union, NJ
57 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
57 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
62 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
62 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
62 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
65 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
66 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
66 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
68 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
68 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
68 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
68 Nazareth College Rochester, NY
68 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
73 Clemson University Clemson, SC
73 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
73 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
73 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
73 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
78 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary of the Woods, IN
78 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
78 Manhattan College Riverdale, NY
78 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
78 St. Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure, NY
78 Wayne State University Detroit, MI

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
84 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
84 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
84 Hope College Holland, MI
84 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
84 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
84 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
90 Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL
91 Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO
91 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
91 University of Rio Grande Rio Grande, OH
91 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
91 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
96 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
96 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
96 Murray State University Murray, KY
96 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
96 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
96 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
96 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
103 Pace University - New York New York, NY
103 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
103 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
103 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO
103 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
108 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
108 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
108 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
108 Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH
108 Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion, PA

Special Education by Region

View the Most Popular 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

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 25 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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