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2025 Best Special Education Schools in Florida

10 Colleges in Florida
1,070 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$52,862 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Special Education Schools in Florida ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,070 degrees in special education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Florida Your choice of special education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Special Education Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Special Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Schools in Florida ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Special Education in Florida

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Florida Schools in Special Ed

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
13.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in special education has to check out University of Florida. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #56 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were about 101 special education students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $51,147 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Florida

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In FL

It's hard to beat Florida State University if you want to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 24 special education students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Florida State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$58,479 Median Starting Salary

University of Central Florida is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. UCF is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Orlando. A Best Colleges rank of #217 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 115 special education students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from University of Central Florida receive $5,617 more than the typical special ed grad.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Central Florida

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
27.4% Growth in Graduates

Florida International University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in special education. FIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Miami. A Best Colleges rank of #262 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means FIU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 95 special education students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from Florida International University receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,239 above the average earnings of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from Florida International University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$51,711 Median Starting Salary

USF Tampa is a very large public university located in the city of Tampa. A Best Colleges rank of #198 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USF Tampa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 15 special education students who graduated with this degree at USF Tampa in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $51,711.

More information about a degree in special education from University of South Florida - Main Campus

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
279 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$53,302 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Pensacola, UWF is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 49th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 279 special education students who graduated with this degree at UWF in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $53,302.

More information about a degree in special education from The University of West Florida

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
35.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Jacksonville, UNF is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 26th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 48 special education students who graduated with this degree at UNF in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, special ed degree recipients generally earn around $51,850 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in special education from University of North Florida

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$53,935 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Miami, MDC is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 18th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 67 special education students who graduated with this degree at MDC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $53,935.

More information about a degree in special education from Miami Dade College

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
51.2% Growth in Graduates

FGCU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fort Myers. This university ranks 37th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 41 special education students who graduated with this degree at FGCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $46,866.

More information about a degree in special education from Florida Gulf Coast University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$39,595 Median Starting Salary

SEU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Lakeland. This university ranks 28th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 49 special education students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, special ed degree recipients usually earn about $39,595 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in special education from Southeastern University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 423
North Carolina 279 372
Virginia 274 994
Tennessee 269 344
South Carolina 248 255
Kentucky 244 573
Louisiana 242 68
Mississippi 234 269
Arkansas 234 274
Alabama 233 404
West Virginia 207 46

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 902
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 53
Other Special Education & Teaching 51
Education of the Deaf 31
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 18
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 11
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 3
Elementary Special Education 1

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 3,478
Educational Administration 1,791
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,410
Curriculum & Instruction 862
General Education 693
Other Education 581
Student Counseling 400
Instructional Media Design 332
Teaching English or French 110
Educational Assessment 40

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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