2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in the Great Lakes Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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” 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The special ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.
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 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 in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also took the #4 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #3 spot on the list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 58 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Special Education Report
Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend Illinois State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #23 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Western Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Northern Illinois University 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 ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 34 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend NIU.
Read more about Special Education at Northern Illinois University
With a ranking of #12, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
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%.
Youngstown State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Western Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 241 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students list, BGSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 44 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Central Michigan University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.
Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Read more about Special Education at Central Michigan University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 17 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students.
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%.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Southern Indiana
Ashland University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ashland is a small school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 43 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ashland University is $20,111 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Read more about Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #22, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #23, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Grace College is a small school located in Winona Lake, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Grace College and Theological Seminary is $20,820 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
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 more about Special Education at Grace College and Theological Seminary
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 85 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Akron Main Campus
Ball State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 65 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend Ball State.
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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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