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2023 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Special Education

89 Ranked Colleges
1,317 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Special Education is the 29th most popular major in the country with 35,973 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,317 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,431 and $15,731 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking, we looked at 89 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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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 “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.

Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree special ed students.

Top 25 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Special Education

1
Evergreen Valley College crest
Evergreen Valley College
San Jose, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Evergreen Valley College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. San Jose, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s special ed degrees to 59 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Special Education at Evergreen Valley College

2
San Bernardino Valley College crest
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Bernardino Valley College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. San Bernardino Valley College is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 associates’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Full San Bernardino Valley College Special Education Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chemeketa Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Salem, Oregon, and it awarded 42 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Special Education at Chemeketa Community College

4
5
Dine College crest
Dine College
Tsaile, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dine College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Dine College is a small school located in Tsaile, Arizona that handed out 3 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Dine College Special Education Report

6
MSJC crest
Mt. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto, California

Mt. San Jacinto College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #6. Mt. San Jacinto College is a fairly large school located in San Jacinto, California that handed out 85 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full MSJC Special Education Report

7
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This large school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 118 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Pasadena City College

8

Los Angeles Trade Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #8. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 27 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Read more about Special Education at Los Angeles Trade Technical College

9
Fullerton College crest
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California

Fullerton College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this fairly large public school handed out 110 diplomas to qualified associates’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Special Education at Fullerton College

10
Riverside City College crest
Riverside City College
Riverside, California

Riverside City College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified associates’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Riverside City College

11
Woodland Community College crest
Woodland Community College
Woodland, California

Woodland Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Woodland Community College is located in Woodland, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 associates’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Special Education at Woodland Community College

12
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

College of the Sequoias did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #12. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large public school situated in Visalia, California. It awarded 51 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Special Education at College of the Sequoias

13
Norco College crest
Norco College
Norco, California

Norco College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Norco, California, and it awarded 44 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Special Education at Norco College

14
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

Southwestern College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Located in Chula Vista, California, this fairly large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified associates’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

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 SWC Chula Vista Special Education Report

15
Moorpark College crest
Moorpark College
Moorpark, California

Moorpark College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Moorpark College is a fairly large school located in Moorpark, California that handed out 65 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Special Education at Moorpark College

16
Foothill College crest
Foothill College
Los Altos Hills, California

Foothill College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Foothill College is a fairly large school located in Los Altos Hills, California that handed out 33 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Foothill College Special Education Report

17
San Jose City College crest
San Jose City College
San Jose, California

San Jose City College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s special ed degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Special Education at San Jose City College

18
Palomar College crest
Palomar College
San Marcos, California

Palomar College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Palomar College is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 49 associates’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Special Education at Palomar College

19
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, California

Butte College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Butte College is located in Oroville, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 associates’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Butte College

20
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

Golden West College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Golden West College is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington Beach, California. It awarded 43 associates’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Golden West College

21
LAVC crest
Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen, California

Los Angeles Valley College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. LAVC is located in Valley Glen, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 associates’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at LAVC

22
LCCC crest
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Lehigh Carbon Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. LCCC is a public institution located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Lehigh Carbon Community College

23
Saddleback College crest
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, California

Saddleback College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #23. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s special ed degrees to 59 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Saddleback College Special Education Report

24

University of Cincinnati - Clermont College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Batavia, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s special ed degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.

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 University of Cincinnati - Clermont College

25
Las Positas College crest
Las Positas College
Livermore, California

Las Positas College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Located in Livermore, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified associates’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

Full Las Positas College Special Education Report

Notes and References

References

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