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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

100 Ranked Colleges
2,218 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Special Education is the 39th most popular major in the country with 33,249 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,757 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,366 and $28,924 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,218 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 100 colleges that offered a degree in special education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great special education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the special education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Special Education at UW - Madison

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region 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 91%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Indiana University - Bloomington Special Education Report

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #10 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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%.

Read full report on Special Education at Purdue

#5

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 51 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Special Education at Michigan State

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 84 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Special Education at UW - Eau Claire

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 48 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Special Education at UW - Whitewater

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 32 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #20 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Special Education at UW - Stevens Point

#10

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State University.

Read full report on Special Education at Ball State University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Special Education at UW Oshkosh

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,695 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Special Education Report

With a ranking of #13, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Special Education Report

#14

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Special Education at Indiana University - South Bend

#15

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern Indiana Special Education Report

#16

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Special Education Report

#17

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 55 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on Special Education at Grand Valley State University

#18

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 57 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan University.

Read more about Special Education at Central Michigan University

#19

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Special Education at Northern Illinois University

#20

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in New Albany, Indiana, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $6,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Special Education at Indiana University - Southeast

#21

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Lewis University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lewis University is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Lewis also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Lewis University is $12,821 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Lewis University

#22

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,350 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Special Education at EIU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,658 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Special Education at SIUC

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. UM Dearborn is a public institution located in Dearborn, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UM Dearborn.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at UM Dearborn

#25

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Special Education Report

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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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