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2023 Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

395 Colleges
$9,867 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$38,520 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 395 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for special ed students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States

Check out the special ed bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Special Education

Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU - I are $4,416 per year.

Full Special Education at Brigham Young University - Idaho Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at Brigham Young University - Provo Report

#3

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Governors University is a great value for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. WGU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City.

WGU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,452 in tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at WGU take out an average of $28,370 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, WGU also did well on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Special Education at Western Governors University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU are $8,163 per year.

Full Special Education at Minot State University Report

#5

Chadron State College

Chadron, NE

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chadron State College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Chadron State College is a small public school located in the remote town of Chadron.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chadron State College are $7,206 per year.

Chadron State College also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

#6

Wayne State College

Wayne, NE

Wayne State College 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 #6 on the list. WSC is a small public school located in the town of Wayne.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSC are $7,458 per year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at WSC take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,226.

Read More…

Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CMU CGES are $6,720 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, CMU CGES is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Read More…

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 per year.

Southwest Minnesota State University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Read full report on Special Education at Southwest Minnesota State University

#9

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Broward College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree special education programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale, BC is a public school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BC are $8,952 a year. Special Ed majors at BC take out an average of $17,294 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Special Education at Broward College

#10

Dakota State University

Madison, SD

Dakota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Dakota State is a small public school located in the town of Madison.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Dakota State are $12,735 a year.

Dakota State also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

#11

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL

With a ranking of #11, Miami Dade College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. MDC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Miami.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MDC are $9,661 a year. On average, special ed graduates from MDC take out $18,141 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

#12

Northern State University

Aberdeen, SD

With a ranking of #12, Northern State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. NSU is a small public school located in the town of Aberdeen.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NSU are $11,947 per year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, NSU also did well on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Special Education at Northern State University

#13

Peru State College

Peru, NE

Peru State College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the rural area of Peru, Peru State is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Peru State are $7,800 per year.

Read full report on Special Education at Peru State College

#14

Mayville State University

Mayville, ND

Mayville 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. Mayville State University is a small public school located in the remote area of Mayville.

Mayville State University undergraduate students pay an average of $10,756 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 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 #15 on the list. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Shippensburg.

Ship undergraduate students pay an average of $14,122 in tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at Ship take out an average of $24,639 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Special Education at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Report

#16

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC

Western Carolina University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public school with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $8,367 per year.

Read full report on Special Education at Western Carolina University

#17

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL

Indian River State College 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 #17 on the list. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fort Pierce.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Indian River State College are $10,201 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Indian River State College

#18

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

University of South Dakota ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. USD is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Vermillion.

USD undergraduate students pay an average of $12,942 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#19

Granite State College

Concord, NH

Granite State College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the fringe town of Concord, GSC is a public school with a small student population.

GSC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,015 in tuition and fees each year. On average, special ed graduates from GSC take out $28,773 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Special Education at Granite State College Report

With a ranking of #20, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke.

UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $7,495 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

#21

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI

With a ranking of #21, Central Michigan University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $385, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Special Education at Central Michigan University

#22

Nicholls State University

Thibodaux, LA

Nicholls State University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree special education programs. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Thibodaux.

Nicholls State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,039 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#23

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, FL

St Petersburg College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Clearwater, SPC is a public school with a very large student population.

SPC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,286 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at SPC take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,126.

Full Special Education at St Petersburg College Report

#24

National University

La Jolla, CA

With a ranking of #24, National University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

National University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, National University also did well on our Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree special education programs. Located in the town of Kutztown, Kutztown University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kutztown University are $15,170 per year. Special Ed majors at Kutztown University take out an average of $25,733 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $277, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Special Education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Rest of the Top Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools

#26

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
#28

Georgia Gwinnett College

Lawrenceville, GA
#33

Winona State University

Winona, MN
#34

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH
#42

Martin Luther College

New Ulm, MN
#42

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, AR
#45

Kean University

Union, NJ
#46

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, NY
#48

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
#50

Nevada State College

Henderson, NV

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 395 different United States special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
52 Towson University Towson, MD
53 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
54 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
55 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
56 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
57 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
58 Ottawa University - Phoenix Phoenix, AZ
58 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great value schools for Special Education students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
60 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
61 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
62 Illinois State University Normal, IL
63 Florida International University Miami, FL
64 Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro, PA
65 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
66 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
67 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
68 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
69 Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL
69 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
71 Lock Haven University Lock Haven, PA
72 Weber State University Ogden, UT
73 Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY
74 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
75 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
76 MSU Texas Wichita Falls, TX
77 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
78 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
79 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA

Special Education by Region

View the Best Value Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

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.

  • 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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