by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 35,973 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In , special education graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $45,680 and had an average of $27,516 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking looked at 917 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. That schools that top this list have a program in special education in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” list, to help you choose the best school for 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major”.
Out of the 917 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown College landed the #1 spot on the list. Georgetown College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Georgetown, Kentucky. It awarded 63 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American University of Puerto Rico. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Special Education at American University of Puerto Rico
Out of the 917 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Daemen College landed the #3 spot on the list. Daemen College is located in Amherst, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 135 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ball State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,841 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St. Joseph’s College - New York. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. St. Joseph’s College - New York is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 310 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Special Education at St. Joseph’s College - New York
With a ranking of #6, Bryn Athyn College of the New Church did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Morningside College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Morningside College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 133 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at Morningside College
Touro College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Touro College is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 712 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #9, American International College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. American International College is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 100 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at American International College
With a ranking of #10, Endicott College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Beverly, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 209 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #11, Notre Dame College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. NDC is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 22 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Bank Street College of Education ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Special Education at Bank Street College of Education
With a ranking of #13, Neumann University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Aston, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 45 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Roberts Wesleyan College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Roberts Wesleyan College is a small school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 95 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Special Education at Roberts Wesleyan College
Manhattanville College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Purchase, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Wilson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #16. Wilson is a small school located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Trinity Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Trinity Christian College is a small school located in Palos Heights, Illinois that handed out 34 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Caribbean University - Ponce came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Ponce, Puerto Rico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. ASU - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 1,523 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Molloy College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Rockville Centre, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 92 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 213 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Fontbonne University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad 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 full report on Special Education at Fontbonne University
University of Saint Joseph ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This small school is located in West Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 110 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Nazarene College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. ENC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Read more about Special Education at Eastern Nazarene College
With a ranking of #25, Muskingum University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Muskingum is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New Concord, Ohio. It awarded 57 ’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo, NY |
| 52 | University of Rio Grande | Rio Grande, OH |
| 53 | Lamar University | Beaumont, TX |
| 54 | St. Bonaventure University | Saint Bonaventure, NY |
| 55 | National Louis University | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | Thiel College | Greenville, PA |
| 57 | Converse College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 58 | Elms College | Chicopee, MA |
| 59 | Northwest Missouri State University | Maryville, MO |
| 60 | Northern State University | Aberdeen, SD |
| 61 | Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg, MA |
| 62 | Brooklyn College | Brooklyn, NY |
| 63 | Pace University - New York | New York, NY |
| 64 | Hunter College | New York, NY |
| 65 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | New Jersey City University | Jersey City, NJ |
| 92 | Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA |
| 93 | Western Oregon University | Monmouth, OR |
| 94 | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven, CT |
| 95 | Mississippi College | Clinton, MS |
| 96 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Cheyney, PA |
| 97 | Mercyhurst University | Erie, PA |
| 98 | SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury, NY |
| 99 | Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall, MN |
| 100 | Evergreen Valley College | San Jose, CA |
| 101 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown, PA |
| 102 | Elmira College | Elmira, NY |
| 103 | Marian University | Fond Du Lac, WI |
| 104 | Kean University | Union, NJ |
| 105 | Caribbean University - Bayamon | Bayamon, PR |
| 106 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
| 107 | Peru State College | Peru, NE |
| 108 | Dominican College of Blauvelt | Orangeburg, NY |
| 109 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | Kearney, NE |
| 110 | Carroll University | Waukesha, WI |
| 111 | Shawnee State University | Portsmouth, OH |
| 112 | University of Redlands | Redlands, CA |
| 113 | Greenville University | Greenville, IL |
| 114 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| 115 | South Georgia State College | Douglas, GA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Minot State University | Minot, ND |
| 117 | York College | York, NE |
| 118 | Wesley College | Dover, DE |
| 119 | Minnesota State University - Moorhead | Moorhead, MN |
| 120 | MSU Texas | Wichita Falls, TX |
| 121 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 122 | Teachers College at Columbia University | New York, NY |
| 123 | Keuka College | Keuka Park, NY |
| 124 | American College of Education | Indianapolis, IN |
| 125 | Alvernia University | Reading, PA |
| 126 | Simmons University | Boston, MA |
| 127 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 128 | Carson - Newman University | Jefferson City, TN |
| 129 | Grove City College | Grove City, PA |
| 130 | Dominican University | River Forest, IL |
| 131 | SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh, NY |
| 132 | California University of Pennsylvania | California, PA |
| 133 | American University of Puerto Rico | Manati, PR |
| 134 | Bethel University Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 135 | Youngstown State University | Youngstown, OH |
| 136 | University of Houston - Victoria | Victoria, TX |
| 137 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
| 138 | Gallaudet University | Washington, DC |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
