2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in North Carolina
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Special Education School for You
With 477 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, special education is the #49 most popular major in North Carolina.
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 Schools in North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 17 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best value experiences for special ed students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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.
Top 10 Best Special Education Schools
Our analysis found University of North Carolina at Pembroke to be the best value school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke.
UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $3,495 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Special Education at University of North Carolina at Pembroke Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Carolina University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public college with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $4,367 per year. Special Ed majors at WCU take out an average of $21,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means East Carolina University is a great value for special education students. ECU is a very large public school located in the small city of Greenville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ECU are $7,297 a year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $26,980 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ECU also is in the top 10% of our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina ranking.
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The excellent programs at Appalachian State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in North Carolina. Appalachian State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Boone.
Appalachian State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,410 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, special ed graduates from Appalachian State take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Appalachian State also did well on our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in North Carolina. Located in the large city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte are $7,188 per year. On average, special ed graduates from UNC Charlotte take out $26,648 in student loans while working on their degree.
UNC Charlotte excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina list.
Full Special Education at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report
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University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. UNCW is a large public school located in the midsize city of Wilmington.
UNCW undergraduate students pay an average of $7,238 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at UNCW take out an average of $23,625 in student loans while working on their egree.
UNCW excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina list.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNC Greensboro are $7,468 a year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at UNC Greensboro take out is $20,996.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Greensboro also is in the top 20% of our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Full Special Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro Report
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Elizabeth City State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the distant town of Elizabeth City, ECSU is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ECSU are $3,326 a year.
Read full report on Special Education at Elizabeth City State University
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North Carolina State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NC State are $9,131 a year.
NC State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Special Education Schools in North Carolina list.
Full Special Education at North Carolina State University Report
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With a ranking of #10, Salem College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Salem is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.
Salem undergraduate students pay an average of $31,016 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Special Education at Salem College Report
Request InformationBest Value Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 550 |
| Virginia | 1,238 |
| Florida | 1,103 |
| Tennessee | 354 |
| Kentucky | 608 |
| South Carolina | 266 |
| Louisiana | 103 |
| Arkansas | 351 |
| Alabama | 437 |
| Mississippi | 269 |
| West Virginia | 46 |
More Special Education Rankings in North Carolina
Special Education Related Majors for 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 17 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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