by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region” 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 5,814 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,069 and $26,644 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 938 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,130 and $22,381 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered 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.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. This small school is located in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 New Mexico Highlands University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. This small school is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Special Education at New Mexico Highlands University
Out of the 35 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Canyon University landed the #3 spot on the list. Grand Canyon University is a large private for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 527 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Grand Canyon University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Phoenix. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Ottawa University - Phoenix is a private not-for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Special Education at Ottawa University - Phoenix
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Arizona University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Special Education at Northern Arizona University
With a ranking of #6, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 6 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Ottawa University - Surprise came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Ottawa University - Surprise is located in Surprise, Arizona and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Prescott College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Prescott, Arizona is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Abilene Christian University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Abilene, Texas, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s special ed degrees 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%.
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Northeastern State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. NSU is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Alva, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Central Oklahoma landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UCO is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees 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%.
Oklahoma Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. OBU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Shawnee, Oklahoma. 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Special Education at Oklahoma Baptist University
Oral Roberts University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. ORU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Our Lady of the Lake University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. OLLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Arizona landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Weatherford, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Baylor University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. Waco, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Oklahoma
Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Durant, Oklahoma that handed out 0 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Read more about Special Education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
With a ranking of #24, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region list. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Texas Christian University
Western New Mexico University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Western New Mexico University is a small public school situated in Silver City, New Mexico. It awarded 1 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Western New Mexico University
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