2021 Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2018-2019, 30,639 people earned a degree or certificate in special education, making the major the #42 most popular in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 353 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for 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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2021 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for special ed majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Special Ed
Our analysis found The College of New Jersey to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Located in the suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at TCNJ take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,430. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lebanon Valley College. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small suburb of Annville, LVC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, special ed graduates from LVC take out $24,350 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 $280.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Towson University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Towson is a very large public school located in the city of Towson.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Towson take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,391. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $192.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Georgia helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the United States. UGA is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Athens.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from UGA carry an average student debtload of $19,182. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $189.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Providence College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Providence is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence.
Special Ed majors at Providence take out an average of $24,797 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 $280.
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Central Washington University landed the #6 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. CWU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Ellensburg.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at CWU accumulate an average of around $22,239 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $239.
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Texas Christian University landed the #7 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. TCU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Worth.
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With a ranking of #8, Elon University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Elon is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Elon.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Elon take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $16,606.
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With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $20,930. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $223.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
Special Ed majors at UIUC take out an average of $19,579 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 $223.
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Gonzaga University landed the #11 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. Gonzaga is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Spokane.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Gonzaga take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,357. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.
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SUNY Geneseo came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Geneseo, SUNY Geneseo is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #13, Western Washington University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Bellingham, WWU is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at WWU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,919. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Dakota State 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 #14 on the list. Dakota State is a small public school located in the town of Madison.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Dakota State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $27,472. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $282, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Madison, Wisconsin is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at Wisconsin accumulate an average of around $20,115 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $253, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Kean University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Union, Kean is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at Kean accumulate an average of around $26,049 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $276.
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. WCUPA is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at WCUPA take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,825. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.
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Baylor University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco.
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Endicott College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Beverly, Endicott is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Hope College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Hope is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Holland.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Hope carry an average student debtload of $26,497. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.
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Minot State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at MSU accumulate an average of around $22,328 in student debt.
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #22 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UNL is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from UNL carry an average student debtload of $22,720. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $261.
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York College of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree special education programs. Located in the suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, special ed graduates from YCP take out $26,740 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $296, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #24, SUNY Cortland did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. SUNY Cortland is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Cortland.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at SUNY Cortland take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,187. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $240, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Manhattan College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Manhattan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Riverdale.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Manhattan take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,950. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $243, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the rest of the colleges 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 353 different United States special education schools we analyzed.
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
51 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
52 | Hood College | Frederick, MD |
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students that almost earned our Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
53 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN |
54 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
55 | Salve Regina University | Newport, RI |
56 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
57 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
58 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
59 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
60 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
61 | Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, WA |
62 | Concordia University - Wisconsin | Mequon, WI |
63 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
64 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
65 | Saint Joseph’s University | Philadelphia, PA |
66 | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven, CT |
67 | Pace University - New York | New York, NY |
68 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
69 | Pennsylvania State University - University Park | University Park, PA |
70 | Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud, MN |
Special Education by Region
View the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Special Ed
Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Special Ed
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Teacher Education Grade Specific | 100,925 |
Educational Administration | 44,381 |
Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,516 |
General Education | 31,066 |
Curriculum & Instruction | 18,767 |
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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