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2024 Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky

12 Colleges in Kentucky
555 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,335 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 555 degrees in special education during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky The special ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Special Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Special Education Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Special Education Schools in Kentucky list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Special Education in Kentucky

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Kentucky Schools in Special Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,223 Median Starting Salary

University of Kentucky is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #230 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UK is a great university overall.

There were roughly 46 special education students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $37,223.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Kentucky

2
Bellarmine U crest
Bellarmine University
Louisville, KY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,409 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Bellarmine University if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the city of Louisville, Bellarmine U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #682 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Bellarmine U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 special education students who graduated with this degree at Bellarmine U in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $35,409.

More information about a degree in special education from Bellarmine University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KY
108 Special Ed Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of the Cumberlands if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the remote town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #434 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cumberlands is a great university overall.

There were approximately 108 special education students who graduated with this degree at Cumberlands in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from University of the Cumberlands

4

University of Louisville is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in special education. UofL is a very large public university located in the large city of Louisville. A Best Colleges rank of #338 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UofL is a great university overall.

There were about 22 special education students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the special education program at University of Louisville earn $6,636 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Louisville

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$35,381 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Richmond, Eastern is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 38 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 70 special education students who graduated with this degree at Eastern in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $35,381.

More information about a degree in special education from Eastern Kentucky University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
15.9% Growth in Graduates

Murray State is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Murray. This university ranks 9th out of 38 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 44 special education students who graduated with this degree at Murray State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $35,577 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in special education from Murray State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In KY

Located in the town of Wilmore, Asbury is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 38 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 4 special education students who graduated with this degree at Asbury in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Asbury University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
28.1% Growth in Graduates

WKU is a large public university located in the small city of Bowling Green. A Best Colleges rank of #903 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WKU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 64 special education students who graduated with this degree at WKU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $36,446.

More information about a degree in special education from Western Kentucky University

8
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11.1% Growth in Graduates
$35,569 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Highland Heights, NKU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #716 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NKU is a great university overall.

There were about 9 special education students who graduated with this degree at NKU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $35,569 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Northern Kentucky University

9
Spalding crest
Spalding University
Louisville, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In KY
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Louisville, Spalding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 12th out of 38 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were about 8 special education students who graduated with this degree at Spalding in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Spalding University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia287423
Florida282999
North Carolina279372
Virginia274994
Tennessee269344
South Carolina248255
Louisiana24268
Mississippi234269
Arkansas234274
Alabama233404
West Virginia20746

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Special Ed Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Special Education485
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments29
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness21
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented14
Education of the Deaf4
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed2

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific1,927
Teacher Education Subject Specific1,225
Educational Administration1,201
Curriculum & Instruction450
Student Counseling402
General Education100
Teaching Assistants81
Instructional Media Design77
Educational Assessment68
Teaching English or French37

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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