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2025 Best General Special Education Schools

277 Colleges in the United States
23,838 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded
General Special Education is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #36 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 277 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Special Education Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 23,838 degrees in general special education to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great General Special Education School

Best General Special Education Schools The teaching students with disabilities program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Special Education rankings. We derive our Best Overall General Special Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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.

General Special Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Teaching Students with Disabilities
Bachelor's Degrees in Teaching Students with Disabilities
Master's Degrees in Teaching Students with Disabilities
Doctor's Degrees in Teaching Students with Disabilities

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Special Education Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 General Special Education in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the teaching students with disabilities degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Teaching Students with Disabilities

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
186 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Illinois State University if you want to pursue a degree in general special education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 186 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Illinois State University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
373 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in general special education has to check out Ball State University. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #181 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were about 373 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Ball State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
146 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat The College of New Jersey if you want to pursue a degree in general special education. TCNJ is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Ewing. This college ranks 6th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were approximately 146 general special education students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from The College of New Jersey

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN
67 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in general special education. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 67 general special education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CA
64 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 87th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 64 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Cal State LA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from California State University - Los Angeles

6
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NY
117 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. This school ranks 24th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 117 general special education students who graduated with this degree at LIU Post in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from LIU Post

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
350 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 350 general special education students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from George Mason University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CT
53 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the fringe town of Storrs. A Best Colleges rank of #57 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCONN is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 general special education students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from University of Connecticut

9
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
72 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Towson is a large public university located in the small city of Towson. This university ranks 5th out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 72 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Towson in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Towson University

10
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In FL
101 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #56 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 101 general special education students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from University of Florida

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In AZ
146 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

NAU is a very large public university located in the city of Flagstaff. This university ranks 7th out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were approximately 146 general special education students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Northern Arizona University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
35 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 35 general special education students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Indiana University - Bloomington

13
Hofstra crest
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
29th Most Popular In NY
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Hofstra is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Hempstead. This university ranks 28th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 6 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Hofstra in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from Hofstra University

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WA
97 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Bellingham, WWU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 97 general special education students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Western Washington University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
65 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 65 general special education students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from University of Georgia

16
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In UT
924 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #66 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WGU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 924 general special education students who graduated with this degree at WGU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Western Governors University

17
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MA
35 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 35 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from Boston University

18
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
364 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. This university ranks 37th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 364 general special education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from National University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In OH
66 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 18th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 66 general special education students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

20
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.More information about a degree in general special education from Boston College

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MD
31 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 31 general special education students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from University of Maryland - College Park

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In UT
93 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

USU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Logan. This university ranks 6th out of 11 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 93 general special education students who graduated with this degree at USU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Utah State University

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In NC

Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 13 general special education students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general special education from East Carolina University

24
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In PA
178 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, St. Joe's is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #105 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means St. Joe's is a great university overall.

There were about 178 general special education students who graduated with this degree at St. Joe's in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Saint Joseph’s University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
79 Teaching Students with Disabilities Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 79 general special education students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general special education from Kent State University at Kent

Rest of the Top Best General Special Education Schools

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27
28
29
30
Seton Hall crest
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ
31
32

33

34
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
35
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
36
37
38
39
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, RI
40
Kean crest
Kean University
Union, NJ
41

42

43
44
45
46
47
48
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
49
50
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best General Special Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 277 different United States general special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
52 St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY
53 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
54 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
55 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Special Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
56 Minot State University Minot, ND
57 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
58 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
59 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
60 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
61 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
62 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
63 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
64 Iona College New Rochelle, NY
65 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
66 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
67 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
68 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
69 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
70 St. Joseph’s College - New York Brooklyn, NY
71 University of Delaware Newark, DE
72 Clemson University Clemson, SC
73 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
74 Harding University Searcy, AR
75 High Point University High Point, NC
76 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
77 Morningside College Sioux City, IA
78 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
79 University of Scranton Scranton, PA
80 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
81 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
82 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
83 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
84 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
85 University of Mississippi University, MS
86 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
87 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
88 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
89 Brandman University Irvine, CA
90 Buffalo State Buffalo, NY
91 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
92 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC

General Special Education by Region

View the Best General Special Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 17 majors within the Special Education area of study, General Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Teaching Students with Disabilities

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,451
Elementary Special Education 1,665
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,514
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,296
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,265
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 562
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 525
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 470
Education of the Deaf 337
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 273

View All Teaching Students with Disabilities Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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