2023 Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools
Finding the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate School for You
In 2020-2021, 36,792 people earned a degree or certificate in special education, making the major the #29 most popular in the United States.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 187 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for 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 Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
Check out the special ed graduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Postbaccalaureate Certificates in Special Education
Our analysis found Minnesota State University - Mankato to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Baltimore.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Purdue University - Main Campus is a great place for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Saint Mary’s College of California. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.
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Towson University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Towson is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Towson.
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George Mason University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
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Appalachian State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. Appalachian State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Boone.
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With a ranking of #10, Ball State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public college with a very large student population.
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The College of New Jersey came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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George Washington University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. GWU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
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Illinois State University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
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Olivet Nazarene University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Augusta University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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Winona State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #17, Minot State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the remote town of Minot, MSU is a public school with a small student population.
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University of Florida landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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Viterbo University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Located in the city of La Crosse, Viterbo is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Georgia College & State University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Georgia College is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Milledgeville.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #21 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.
On average, special ed graduates from UMN Twin Cities take out $21,104 in student loans while working on their Graduate Certificate.
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University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Located in the small suburb of Fairbanks, UAF is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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The City College of New York ranked #24 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. CCNY is a fairly large public school located in the large city of New York.
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Rowan University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Rowan is a large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students that almost earned our Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Hamline University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 30 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 31 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC |
| 32 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 33 | Rider University | Lawrenceville, NJ |
| 34 | Midland University | Fremont, NE |
| 35 | California State University - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 36 | Whitworth University | Spokane, WA |
| 37 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
Special Education by Region
View the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Special Education Rankings
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 | 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.
- 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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