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2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

407 Ranked Colleges
9,071 Degrees Awarded
$6,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 33,249 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,879 and had an average of $28,500 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,071 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 407 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality special education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $0-$30k)

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

UF also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at University of Florida

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 407 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Vanderbilt University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #12 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UW - Madison Special Education Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at UIUC

Out of the 407 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 39 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,002 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Special Education at FIU

#6

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Special Education at Florida State University

#7

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Towson is a large public school situated in Towson, Maryland. It awarded 117 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Towson also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Towson University is $9,206 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Towson

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 35 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,969 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Indiana University - Bloomington

#9

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#22 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UMCP Special Education Report

#10

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, MDC also did well on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Miami Dade College is $4,471 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MDC Special Education Report

#11

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,483 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Purdue Special Education Report

#12

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $4,140 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of West Florida Special Education Report

#13

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UCF Special Education Report

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Michigan State University

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,950 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at USF Tampa

#16

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,743 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Western Washington University

#17

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#25 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at UMN Twin Cities

#18

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

UGA also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $7,541 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Georgia

#19

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 24 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,097 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Florida.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of North Florida

Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brigham Young University - Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Brigham Young University - Idaho

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Ohio State is also in the top of our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#22

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 84 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,528 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read more about Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#23

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Whitewater is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Special Education Report

#24

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #24, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appalachian State is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Appalachian State also did well on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $7,169 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Appalachian State

#25

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,824 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Gulf Coast University.

Read full report on Special Education at FGCU

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York
#27

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#28

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#29

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#32

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#33

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida
#34

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#36

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#37

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#38

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida
#39

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, Utah
#41

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#42

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
#44

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#45

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#48

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#49

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana
#50

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Illinois State University Normal, IL
52 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
53 Utah State University Logan, UT
54 Winona State University Winona, MN
55 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
56 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
57 Nevada State College Henderson, NV
58 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
59 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
60 Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL
61 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
62 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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