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2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

55 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
5,021 Master's Degrees
$62,063 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in special education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #8 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 55 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,021 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree

Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region The special ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality special ed program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for special education students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Special Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in the Middle Atlantic Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for special education students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

11 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY

Hunter College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in special education. Hunter is a fairly large public college located in the large city of New York.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Hunter College receive an earnings boost of about $15,119 over the average income of special education majors.

More information about a master’s in special education from Hunter College

2
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn College is a good option for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Brooklyn College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the special education degree program at Brooklyn College make $15,615 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in special education from Brooklyn College

3
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in special education has to take a look at Syracuse University. Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program report average early career wages of $60,047.

More information about a master’s in special education from Syracuse University

4

The College of New Jersey is a great decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in special education. TCNJ is a medium-sized public college located in the large suburb of Ewing.

Master's recipients from the special education program at The College of New Jersey get $2,696 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from The College of New Jersey

5

CCNY is a large public college located in the city of New York.

Master's recipients from the special education degree program at The City College of New York make $14,773 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from The City College of New York

6
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY

Located in the suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the special education major at LIU Post make $13,805 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from LIU Post

7
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, NY

QC is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Queens.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Queens College get an earnings boost of around $12,433 above the average income of special education graduates.

More information about a master’s in special education from Queens College

8
Hofstra crest
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY

Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Hempstead.

Master's recipients from the special education degree program at Hofstra University make $14,201 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from Hofstra University

9
Molloy crest
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY

Located in the suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After graduation, special ed master's recipients usually earn about $53,653 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in special education from Molloy College

10
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY

Adelphi is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Garden City.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Adelphi University receive an earnings boost of around $5,510 over the average earnings of special education graduates.

More information about a master’s in special education from Adelphi University

11

Located in the large city of Queens, STJ is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the special education program at St John's University - New York earn $13,378 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from St John’s University - New York

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
12 Towson University Towson, MD
13 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 261 3,329
Pennsylvania 248 910
Maryland 193 142
New Jersey 188 583
District of Columbia 154 80
Delaware 109 155

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

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 2,519
Elementary Special Education 883
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 754
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 389
Other Special Education & Teaching 156
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 103
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 45
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 39
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 33
Education of the Deaf 27

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 5,183
Teacher Education Subject Specific 4,795
Educational Administration 3,517
General Education 2,383
Student Counseling 1,829
Instructional Media Design 1,039
Teaching English or French 986
Curriculum & Instruction 911
Other Education 396
Educational Assessment 179

Notes and References

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