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Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee

2023 Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee

21 Colleges
$39,838 Avg Salary
$21,956 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, 354 degrees and certificates were awarded to special education students who went to a Tennessee college or university. This makes it the #46 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee

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

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Our 2023 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best school in Tennessee for special education students. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Tennessee Technological University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee list. Tennessee Tech University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Cookeville.

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#3

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, special ed majors at UofM accumulate an average of around $21,125 in student debt.

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The excellent programs at Middle Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro.

Special Ed majors at Middle Tennessee State University take out an average of $21,200 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Special Education at Middle Tennessee State University Report

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee list. UT Knoxville is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville.

After completing their degree, special ed graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $20,500.

Full Special Education at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Report

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#6

Union University

Jackson, TN

With a ranking of #6, Union University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Union is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson.

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#7

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.

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#8

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN

Freed-Hardeman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #8 on the list. FHU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Henderson.

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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga.

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#10

Lee University

Cleveland, TN

Lee University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, special ed graduates from Lee University take out $28,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 550
Virginia 1,238
North Carolina 477
Florida 1,103
Kentucky 608
South Carolina 266
Louisiana 103
Arkansas 351
Alabama 437
Mississippi 269
West Virginia 46

One of 14 majors within the area of study, special education has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 21 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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