2023 Most Popular Online Special Education Schools
Finding the Most Popular Online Special Education 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.
The Most Popular Online Special Education Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 137 schools in the United States to see which online programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.
2023 Most Popular Online Special Education Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Online Special Education Colleges.
Top 15% Most Popular Online Special Education Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Western Governors University the most popular online school in the United States for special education students. WGU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City.
The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at WGU take out is $26,383.
Full Special Education at Western Governors University Report
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The excellent online programs at Grand Canyon University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the United States. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix.
On average, special ed graduates from Grand Canyon University take out $47,161 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $138.
Full Special Education at Grand Canyon University Report
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The excellent online programs at Ball State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the United States. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at Ball State accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $278.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Liberty University is a great place for special education students pursuing an online degree. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
Special Ed majors at Liberty University take out an average of $31,153 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent online programs at Minnesota State University - Mankato helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the United States. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, special ed graduates from Minnesota State Mankato carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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University of West Georgia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #6 on the list. University of West Georgia is a large public school located in the town of Carrollton.
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East Carolina University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Special Education Schools ranking. ECU is a very large public school located in the small city of Greenville.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $26,980 in student debt.
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The University of West Florida landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the small city of Pensacola, UWF is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Special Ed majors at UWF take out an average of $28,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Special Education at The University of West Florida Report
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Chemeketa Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem, Chemeketa Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their degree, special ed graduates from Chemeketa Community College carry an average student debtload of $20,807.
Full Special Education at Chemeketa Community College Report
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Granite State College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Special Education Schools ranking. Located in the town of Concord, GSC is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at GSC accumulate an average of around $26,460 in student debt.
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Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the rural area of Saint Mary of the Woods, SMWC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, special ed majors at SMWC accumulate an average of around $32,277 in student debt.
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Florida International University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. FIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Miami.
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Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Special Education Schools ranking. BGSU is a large public school located in the fringe town of Bowling Green.
After completing their degree, special ed graduates from BGSU carry an average student debtload of $24,625. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $297.
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University of Florida ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Online Special Education Schools list. Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a very large student population.
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Arkansas State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #15 on the list. A-State is a large public school located in the small city of Jonesboro.
Read full report on Special Education at Arkansas State University - Main Campus
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George Mason University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Online Special Education Schools list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.
Full Special Education at George Mason University Report
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With a ranking of #15, University of Kansas did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. KU is a very large public school located in the small city of Lawrence.
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Northwestern State University of Louisiana ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Online Special Education Schools list. NSU is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Natchitoches.
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With a ranking of #20, University of West Alabama did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the remote area of Livingston, University of West Alabama is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Full Special Education at University of West Alabama Report
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Here are some additional great schools for online Special Education students that almost earned our Most Popular Online Special Education Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Viterbo University | La Crosse, WI |
| 22 | University of Maine | Orono, ME |
| 22 | Queens College | Queens, NY |
| 24 | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, IL |
| 25 | Alliant International University | San Diego, CA |
| 26 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 27 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
Most Popular Online Special Education by Region
View the Most Popular Online Special Education Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Special Education Rankings
Special Education Related Majors
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 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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