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Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee

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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 analysis found Vanderbilt University to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

Read full report on Special Education at Vanderbilt University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee Technological University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee list. Tennessee Tech University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Cookeville.

Full Special Education at Tennessee Technological University Report

#3

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Memphis is a great place for special education students. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a very large student population.

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

Read More…

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.

Read More…

Out of the 21 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the # 5 spot on the list. UT Knoxville is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Knoxville.

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

Read More…

#6

Union University

Jackson, TN

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

Read full report on Special Education at Union University

#7

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee ranking. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

Read More…

#8

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN

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

Read full report on Special Education at Freed-Hardeman University

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 midsize city of Chattanooga.

Read full report on Special Education at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#10

Lee University

Cleveland, TN

Lee University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit college 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.

Read full report on Special Education at Lee University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Schools 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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