by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, general special education was the 36th most popular major nationwide with 24,497 degrees awarded. This represents a 9.2% increase in teaching students with disabilities degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 22,244.
This year's Best General Special Education Schools ranking compares 515 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom teaching students with disabilities rankings further below.
When studying Teaching Students with Disabilities, you’ll learn that giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and teaching others how to do something.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most teaching students with disabilities degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific teaching students with disabilities careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Teaching Students with Disabilities degree levels vary. You can get anything from a in general special education to the highest teaching students with disabilities degree, a . General Special Education programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to teaching students with disabilities, with approximately 50.1% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for teaching students with disabilities workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 53.0% |
| Master’s Degree | 27.2% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 15.5% |
| First Professional Degree | 1.7% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 1.4% |
About 98.8% of workers in careers related to teaching students with disabilities obtain at least bachelor's degrees. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in general special education have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which teaching students with disabilities career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your teaching students with disabilities degree? General Special Education careers are expected to grow 7.8% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general special education.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten or Elementary School Special Education Teachers | 202,800 | 7.4% |
| Special Education Professors | 141,600 | 7.4% |
| Middle School Special Education Teachers | 95,700 | 7.2% |
| Special Education Teachers | 45,400 | 9.9% |
| Special Education Preschool Teachers | 32,500 | 11.3% |
As you might expect, salaries for teaching students with disabilities graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for general special education graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers teaching students with disabilities grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Special Education Professors | $65,320 |
| Middle School Special Education Teachers | $64,390 |
| Kindergarten or Elementary School Special Education Teachers | $63,110 |
| Special Education Teachers | $62,500 |
| Special Education Preschool Teachers | $61,610 |
With over 1,436 different teaching students with disabilities degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased teaching students with disabilities school rankings to help you with this.
General Special Education is one of 17 different types of Special Education programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs | 3,111 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities | 1,789 |
| Elementary Special Education | 1,625 |
| Other Special Education & Teaching | 1,227 |
| Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism | 1,133 |
View All Teaching Students with Disabilities Related Majors >
Image Credit: By woodleywonderworks under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
