by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,331 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking, we looked at 552 colleges that offer a degree in special education. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their special education program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major”.
Out of the 552 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, American University of Puerto Rico landed the #1 spot on the list. Bayamon, Puerto Rico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
Out of the 552 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St. Joseph’s College - New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 200 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 552 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Saint Mary of the Woods, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Bayamon, Puerto Rico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 35 students in 2021-2022.
Full University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon Special Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity Christian College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s special ed degrees 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 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%.
Read full report on Special Education at Trinity Christian College
Wells College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Located in Aurora, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Hastings College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Hastings, Nebraska, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 ranking of #8, SUNY Geneseo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. SUNY Geneseo is a small public school situated in Geneseo, New York. It awarded 73 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Rio Grande came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. University of Rio Grande is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rio Grande, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Rio Grande
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is a small school located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 bachelors’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.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 100 bachelors’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%.
With a ranking of #12, Thiel College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Thiel College is a small school located in Greenville, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
Northern State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. NSU is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Special Education at Northern State University
With a ranking of #14, Bluffton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Bluffton University is a small school located in Bluffton, Ohio that handed out 11 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
Marietta College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Marietta, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #16, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 204 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read full report on Special Education at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
William Peace University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #17. WPU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees 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%.
St. Bonaventure University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #18. St. Bonaventure is located in Saint Bonaventure, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
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 more about Special Education at St. Bonaventure University
With a ranking of #19, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
University of Maine at Farmington did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #20. Farmington, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full University of Maine at Farmington Special Education Report
With a ranking of #21, Juniata College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Juniata College is located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Notre Dame College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Notre Dame College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s 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%.
SUNY Cortland ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Cortland, New York, and it awarded 86 bachelors’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 #24, Cabrini University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Cabrini University is a small school located in Radnor, Pennsylvania that handed out 31 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #25. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Special Education at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
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 | Morehead State University | Morehead, KY |
| 52 | SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury, NY |
| 53 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 54 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 55 | Mount Marty University | Yankton, SD |
| 56 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 57 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 58 | Mercyhurst University | Erie, PA |
| 59 | Dakota State University | Madison, SD |
| 60 | St. Andrews University | Laurinburg, NC |
| 61 | Granite State College | Concord, NH |
| 62 | Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY |
| 63 | Capital University | Columbus, OH |
| 64 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg, PA |
| 65 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Mars Hill University | Mars Hill, NC |
| 67 | Malone University | Canton, OH |
| 68 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 69 | Nevada State College | Henderson, NV |
| 70 | Lebanon Valley College | Annville, PA |
| 71 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 72 | Athens State University | Athens, AL |
| 73 | Lake Erie College | Painesville, OH |
| 74 | Keystone College | La Plume, PA |
| 75 | Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA |
| 76 | Missouri Baptist University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 77 | Hood College | Frederick, MD |
| 78 | Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, SD |
| 79 | Salve Regina University | Newport, RI |
| 80 | Erskine College | Due West, SC |
| 81 | Minot State University | Minot, ND |
| 82 | Roberts Wesleyan College | Rochester, NY |
| 83 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
