2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Special Education School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, special education was ranked #29 in the country. In fact 36,792 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 117 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the special ed programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Special Education Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Hope College the best school in the Great Lakes Region for special education students. Hope is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Holland.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
Special Ed majors at Illinois State take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $201, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Special Education at Illinois State University Report
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - Madison helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at UW - Madison accumulate an average of around $21,875 in student debt.
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Out of the 117 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, special ed graduates from Purdue take out $22,883 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at UW - Eau Claire accumulate an average of around $29,449 in student debt.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
Special Ed majors at UIUC take out an average of $13,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.
On average, special ed graduates from IU Bloomington take out $22,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Full Special Education at Olivet Nazarene University Report
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Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, WLC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Carroll University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Carroll U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waukesha.
On average, special ed graduates from Carroll U take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Dayton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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Carthage College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha, Carthage is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Calvin University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #13 on the list. Calvin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Grand Rapids.
Full Special Education at Calvin University Report
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University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #14 on the list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Menomonie.
Full Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Stout Report
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #15 on the list. SIUC is a large public school located in the city of Carbondale.
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Lewis University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Lewis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Romeoville.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Lewis take out is $24,779.
Full Special Education at Lewis University Report
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Huntington University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Huntington, Huntington is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 20 | Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights, IL |
| 21 | Viterbo University | La Crosse, WI |
| 22 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 23 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
Best Special Education Colleges by State
Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 607 |
| Ohio | 1,329 |
| Illinois | 1,153 |
| Indiana | 2,282 |
| Wisconsin | 598 |
More Special Education Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Special Ed
Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar 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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