2026 Most Popular Special Education Schools
There are 1,022 colleges that offer a degree in Special Education. Learn more about the most popular schools below:
Finding the Best Special Education School for You
With all the Special Education programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. This report analyzed 1,022 schools in the United States to see which Special Education programs were the most popular. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Special Education Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Special Education majors.
Top 25 Most Popular Special Education Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Special Education students is Ball State University. Located in Muncie, IN, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,723 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,646. Full Special Education at Ball State University Report
Grand Canyon University landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in Phoenix, AZ, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,564 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $62,543. Read full report on Special Education at Grand Canyon University
Arizona State University Digital Immersion landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Arizona State University Digital Immersion is a public school located in Scottsdale, AZ. This school awarded 1,555 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,210. Full Special Education at Arizona State University Digital Immersion Report
Western Governors University comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 898 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $74,978. Read full report on Special Education at Western Governors University
Touro University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 754 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,129. Read full report on Special Education at Touro University
Lamar University comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Beaumont, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 492 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $56,267. Read More…
American College of Education comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Indianapolis, IN, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 397 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read More…
National University landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in San Diego, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 352 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $66,420. Read full report on Special Education at National University
Liberty University landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in Lynchburg, VA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 351 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $44,414. Read More…
CUNY Hunter College landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. CUNY Hunter College is a public school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 338 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $46,228. Read full report on Special Education at CUNY Hunter College
University of West Florida landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in Pensacola, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 322 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,046. Full Special Education at University of West Florida Report
George Mason University comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Fairfax, VA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 313 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $55,366. Full Special Education at George Mason University Report
University of the Cumberlands comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Williamsburg, KY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 304 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $45,499. Full Special Education at University of the Cumberlands Report
Illinois State University comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Illinois State University is a public school located in Normal, IL. This school awarded 263 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $46,159. Full Special Education at Illinois State University Report
St. Joseph's University-New York landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in Brooklyn, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 263 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $43,554. Read More…
CUNY Brooklyn College landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Located in Brooklyn, NY, this is a public institution. This school awarded 259 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $38,492. Read full report on Special Education at CUNY Brooklyn College
CUNY Lehman College comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Bronx, NY, this is a public institution. This school awarded 214 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $45,331. Read full report on Special Education at CUNY Lehman College
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Slippery Rock, PA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 213 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,776. Read More…
Niagara University comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Niagara University is a private nonprofit school located in Niagara University, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 209 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $45,413. Read full report on Special Education at Niagara University
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Bowling Green, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 208 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,263. Read full report on Special Education at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Towson University comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Towson, MD, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 207 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,563. Read full report on Special Education at Towson University
Arkansas Tech University landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking. Arkansas Tech University is a public school located in Russellville, AR. During the most recent year for which we have data, 197 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,548. Read More…
University of Mount Saint Vincent comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Bronx, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 166 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $62,536. Full Special Education at University of Mount Saint Vincent Report
Arkansas State University comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. Located in Jonesboro, AR, this is a public institution. This school awarded 165 degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $45,510. Full Special Education at Arkansas State University Report
University of West Georgia comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Special Education majors. University of West Georgia is a public school located in Carrollton, GA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 159 people earned their degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $39,461. Read More…
Rest of the Top Most Popular Special Education Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Special Education by Region
See the most popular Special Education schools in a specific region of the United States.
| Region |
|---|
| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Special Education Rankings
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the Most Popular Special Education Schools ranking, along with other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Majors Related to Special Education
Special Education Concentrations
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 108,054 |
| Educational Administration | 42,255 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 39,881 |
| General Education | 27,481 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 21,331 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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