2027 Best Value General Special Education Schools in Georgia

[General Special Education](/majors/education/special-education/general-special-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general special education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for general special education students.
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2027 Best Value General Special Education Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general special education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Special Education Schools
Valdosta State University tops our 2027 list of the best value general special education schools in Georgia. Set in the city of Valdosta, Valdosta State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,124 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,836. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $28,661 in student loans. General Special Education graduates of Valdosta State University earn a median of $56,492 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
University Of West Georgia came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value general special education schools. University Of West Georgia is a large public school located in the town of Carrollton. Students from in state pay about $6,088 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,800 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,789. Early-career general special education graduates make about $67,672. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of West Georgia admits about 52% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general special education will find it at Georgia Southwestern State University, which ranked #3. Set in the town of Americus, Georgia Southwestern State University is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,220, with out-of-state students paying around $16,572. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $28,245. Early-career general special education graduates make about $52,428. That is a strong return on a $28,245 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Augusta University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general special education, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,414, compared with $24,734 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,745 to complete the general special education program here. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from Augusta University generally make around $56,168. Set against $25,745 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Columbus State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value general special education schools. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,898, with out-of-state students paying around $17,610. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $28,493 in student loans. General Special Education graduates of Columbus State University earn a median of $56,177 early in their careers. Set against $28,493 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
University Of Georgia earned the #6 position for value in general special education this year. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $22,250. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from University Of Georgia generally make around $54,506. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 38%.
Kennesaw State University earned the #7 position for value in general special education this year. Set in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,808 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,736. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $27,004. General Special Education graduates of Kennesaw State University earn a median of $53,824 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,004 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Georgia Southern University landed the #8 spot for general special education value this year. Located in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,022 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,734 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,687 to complete the general special education program here. General Special Education graduates of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $45,531 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Georgia Gwinnett College came in at #9 for value in general special education this year. Set in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Georgia Gwinnett College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,532, while out-of-state students pay about $13,844. Students borrow a median of $21,280 to complete the general special education program here. General Special Education graduates of Georgia Gwinnett College earn a median of $55,992 early in their careers. Set against $21,280 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgia Gwinnett College admits about 96% of applicants.
Georgia State University earned the #10 position for value in general special education this year. Georgia State University is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,664, while out-of-state students pay about $24,840. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,091. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from Georgia State University generally make around $59,125. That is a strong return on a $26,091 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Piedmont College placed #11 among the best values for general special education. Piedmont College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Demorest. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,700. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $29,975 in student loans. Early-career general special education graduates make about $52,567. That is a strong return on a $29,975 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Georgia College And State University came in at #12 for value in general special education this year. Set in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College And State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,186 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,512. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. General Special Education graduates of Georgia College And State University earn a median of $49,364 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgia College And State University admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.