Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Special Education

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $48-$75k)

406 Ranked Colleges
9,071 Degrees Awarded
$36,194 Avg Salary
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 406 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

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 $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 406 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #1 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

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 $8,086 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Special Education at Vanderbilt University

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,528 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#4

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Out of the 406 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami Dade College landed the #4 spot on the list. Miami Dade College is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MDC 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 Miami Dade College is $6,704 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Miami Dade College Special Education Report

Out of the 406 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Special Education at UIUC

Out of the 406 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 39 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top 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 FIU is $10,298 for bachelor’s degree 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 91%.

Read full report on Special Education at Florida International University

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and 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 in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,654 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Purdue

#8

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #8, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,511 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Special Education at The University of West Florida

#9

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,583 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

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

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 35 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IU Bloomington is also in the top of our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Special Education Report

#11

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Central Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $11,161 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, 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 92%.

Full University of Central Florida Special Education Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 35 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $6,287 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Special Education at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $9,809 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USF Tampa Special Education Report

With a ranking of #15, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,466 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.7% 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 Brigham Young University - Provo

#16

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k list, WWU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $16,398 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Washington University Special Education Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - 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 also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $14,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#18

Nevada State College

Henderson, Nevada
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Nevada State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. NSC is a medium-sized public school situated in Henderson, Nevada. It awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

NSC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for NSC is $14,347 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Special Education at NSC

#19

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,344 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FGCU.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Special Education Report

#20

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Fort Pierce, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $3,889 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Special Education at Indian River State College

University of Alaska Southeast ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Juneau, Alaska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Alaska Southeast is $9,061 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Alaska Southeast

#22

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Broward College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Broward College is a public institution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BC excels when it comes to special ed quality. 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 Broward College is $14,941 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Special Education at Broward College

#23

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 24 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $10,006 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full UNF Special Education Report

#24

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Towson University is located in Towson, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Towson also took the #3 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,052 for bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Towson University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Special Education at Towson

#24

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 46 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Special Education at University of Georgia

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s 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

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, Utah
#28

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#30

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska
#31

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#32

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#33

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#34

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#39

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#40

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#41

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#42

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#43

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#44

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#45

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island
#47

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#48

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#49

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#50

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
52 Boston University Boston, MA
53 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
54 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
55 Utah State University Logan, UT
56 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
57 Illinois State University Normal, IL
58 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
59 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
60 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
61 Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN

Switch to a More Focused Major

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.

Credits

Featured Special Education Schools

Find Schools Near You