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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

74 Ranked Colleges
276 Degrees Awarded
$91,539 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 276 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” ranking analyzed 74 colleges that offered a degree in special education. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in special education.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree special ed students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education

1
Gallaudet crest
Gallaudet University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gallaudet University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Gallaudet University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Special Education at Gallaudet

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Teachers College at Columbia University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 73 doctorate’s special ed degrees 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Teachers College at Columbia University Special Education Report

3
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 34 students 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 SRU

4

Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Colorado landed the #4 spot on the list. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 8 students 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 University of Northern Colorado

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Special Education at Vanderbilt

6
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 3 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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.

Full SLU Special Education Report

7

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro is a medium-sized school located in San Juan, Puerto Rico that handed out 3 doctorate’s special ed 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%.

Read full report on Special Education at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro

8
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 7 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Special Education at University of Kansas

9
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Duquesne is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’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%.

Full Duquesne University Special Education Report

10
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #10, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This fairly large school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Special Education at Chapman University

11

With a ranking of #11, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

12

University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

13

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 5 doctorate’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%.

Full UNLV Special Education Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Columbia Special Education Report

15

Texas Woman’s University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. TWU is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’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%.

Full Texas Woman’s University Special Education Report

16

Illinois State University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s 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%.

Full Illinois State Special Education Report

17
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on Special Education at Washington State University

18
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. University of San Francisco is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 full report on Special Education at USFCA

19
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #19, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech Special Education Report

20

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Special Education Report

21
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at GWU

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s special ed degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 U of U

23

Utah State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major ranking. USU is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 5 doctorate’s special ed degrees 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%.

Read more about Special Education at Utah State University

24

University of Toledo ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 23 doctorate’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full University of Toledo Special Education Report

25
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Special Ed Major list. Clemson is located in Clemson, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Clemson University Special Education Report

Notes and References

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