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2023 Best Value Colleges for Special Education (Income $48-$75k)

589 Ranked Colleges
36,792 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 36,792 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,679 and had an average of $24,977 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 589 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Special Education (Income $48-$75k)

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 47 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Johns Hopkins University Special Education Report

2
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Out of the 589 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #2 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 360 students in 2020-2021.

Hunter not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $6,908 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter Special Education Report

3
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $7,694 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Special Education at Vanderbilt University

4
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 244 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brooklyn College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,219 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Brooklyn College

5
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The City College of New York
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The City College of New York. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. CCNY is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 143 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

CCNY excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $7,521 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The City College of New York Special Education Report

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 84 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Cal State LA also did well on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It costs about $5,700 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Special Education Report

7
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Queens College is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 111 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, QC also did well on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $7,582 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 QC Special Education Report

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 32 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 87 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UF excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,394 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Special Education Report

10
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Lehman excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,084 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman College Special Education Report

11
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

12
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #12, Western Governors University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Governors University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 1,256 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, WGU is in the top on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,942 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WGU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Governors University Special Education Report

13
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Special Education Report

14

The University of West Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 303 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,301 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read full report on Special Education at UWF

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 69 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It costs about $10,364 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 84 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It costs about $12,911 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at UMN Twin Cities

17
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 103 degrees to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,808 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Miami Dade College.

Read full report on Special Education at MDC

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 30 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $11,506 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Florida State University Special Education Report

19

Texas A&M International University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Laredo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $4,262 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas A&M International University Special Education Report

20

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 52 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

21

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $5,452 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Special Education Report

22

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 30 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $5,422 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 BYU - I

23
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Pierce, Florida. It awarded 12 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $5,511 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Special Education at Indian River State College

24
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 1,870 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Ball State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,158 for Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State University Special Education Report

25

Utah State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Utah State University is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 84 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.

USU excels when it comes to special ed quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Special Education Schools” list. It costs about $13,553 for special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USU.

The undergrad 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 USU

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

26
27
28
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota
29
30
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Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
31
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
32
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University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
33
34
35
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
36
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland
37
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College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, New York
38
39
40
41
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College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
42
43
44
45
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Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois
45
47
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Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Special Ed Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Rank College Location
51 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
52 Winona State University Winona, MN
53 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
54 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
55 Washington State University Pullman, WA
56 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
57 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
58 Granite State College Concord, NH
59 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
60 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
61 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
61 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
63 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
64 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
65 University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK
Rank College Location
66 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
67 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
68 Augusta University Augusta, GA
69 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
70 William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS
71 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
72 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
73 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
74 University of Delaware Newark, DE
75 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
76 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
77 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
78 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
79 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
80 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
81 Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY
82 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
83 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
84 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
85 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
86 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
87 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
88 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
89 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ

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