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Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

14 Colleges
$19,722 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$46,837 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,238 degrees and certificates were awarded to special education students who went to a Virginia college or university. This makes it the #27 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Virginia 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.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

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

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named James Madison University the best value school in Virginia for special education students. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at JMU are $12,638 a year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, JMU also did well on our Best Special Education Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Special Education at James Madison University Report

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$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Virginia. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a fairly large student population.

University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for special ed in Virginia.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Virginia - Main Campus

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#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Special Education Schools in Virginia ranking.

Full Special Education at George Mason University Report

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#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mary Washington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMW are $13,800 per year.

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#5

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Radford is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Radford.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Radford are $11,542 a year.

Full Special Education at Radford University Report

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#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

William & Mary came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at William & Mary are $23,812 per year.

William & Mary did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Special Education Schools in Virginia list.

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#7

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA
$33,500 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Lynchburg did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lynchburg are $33,500 per year.

Full Special Education at University of Lynchburg Report

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#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
$16,160 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at Liberty University take out an average of $31,153 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Special Education at Liberty University Report

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#9

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Old Dominion University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Old Dominion are $10,800 per year.

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$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a very large student population.

VCU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University

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Best 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
North Carolina 477
Florida 1,103
Tennessee 354
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 14 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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