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

57 Colleges in the Southeast Region
3,079 Master's Degrees
$52,670 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 reviewed 57 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of special education. Combined, these schools handed out 3,079 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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

Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of special education for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

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

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full 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.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

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

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 Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in the Southeast 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 Southeast Region Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1

George Mason University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. GMU is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax.

Master's recipients from the special education degree program at George Mason University earn $9,326 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

University of Florida is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program state that they receive average early career income of $51,147.

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

3

University of Georgia is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the medium-sized city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from University of Georgia make $6,893 more than the standard special ed student.

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

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University is a great choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

After graduation, special ed master's recipients typically earn around $51,619 at the beginning of their careers.

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

5
29 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in special education from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

6
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in special education from Lee University

7

A-State is a large public university located in the small city of Jonesboro.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $50,720 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in special education from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

8

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the special education major at Georgia State University earn $6,455 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

9
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
19 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Arkansas

10
19 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in special education from Harding University

11
28 Annual Graduates

UK is a very large public university located in the large city of Lexington.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Kentucky

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
12 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
13 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
14 Elon University Elon, NC

Best Special Education Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 580
Georgia 190 265
Virginia 182 863
North Carolina 178 83
Tennessee 166 127
Alabama 151 210
Kentucky 147 391
Louisiana 147 47
South Carolina 146 102
Mississippi 145 216
Arkansas 121 227
West Virginia 112 41

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 2,511
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 174
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 129
Other Special Education & Teaching 125
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 37
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 29
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 28
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 12
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 11
Education of the Deaf 8

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 8,608
Educational Administration 7,090
Student Counseling 3,832
Curriculum & Instruction 3,559
Teacher Education Subject Specific 3,485
General Education 2,059
Instructional Media Design 1,053
Other Education 421
Teaching English or French 340
Educational Assessment 103

Notes and References

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