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2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

60 Ranked Colleges
278 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 278 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 60 colleges that offer a degree in special education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent special education programs, but they also 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 11 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Vanderbilt Special Education Report

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#5 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 #2 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 9 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #5 spot in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130.

Full UF Special Education Report

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 1 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #17 spot in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #13 spot in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Special Education Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also made our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Special Education at UIUC

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Special Education at IU Bloomington

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Special Education at UC Berkeley

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.

Full UCLA Special Education Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Special Education at UIC

Florida International University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211.

Read more about Special Education at Florida International University

#11

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Special Education at Boston U

#12

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Texas are $15,618, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Special Education at University of North Texas

#13

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #7 spot in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UMCP Special Education Report

#14

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Wazzu are $27,561, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Special Education at Wazzu

#15

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UGA are $27,476.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Georgia

#16

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Woman’s University are $14,962, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Special Education at TWU

#17

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida Atlantic University are $18,482.

Read full report on Special Education at FAU

#18

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Tech are $17,530, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Special Education at Texas Tech University

#19

Utah State University

Logan, Utah
#21 in overall quality

Utah State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

USU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at USU are $22,598.

Full USU Special Education Report

#20

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro are $21,918, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Special Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNLV are $21,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Special Education at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#22

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
#3 in overall quality

George Washington University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. GWU is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 7 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, GWU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at George Washington University are $31,824.

Read full report on Special Education at GWU

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Special Education at UT Austin

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Read more about Special Education at University of Missouri - Columbia

#25

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Lehigh University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lehigh has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Special Education Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehigh University are $27,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Special Education at Lehigh University

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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