College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education

627 Colleges in the United States
19,550 Master's Degrees
$48,410 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #9 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 627 colleges and universities when compiling its 2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 19,550 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education The special ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. One of the reasons we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education ranking is to help you make that choice.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of special education students usually has them for a reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Special Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed
Overall Popularity in Special Ed

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. Plus, you can view our other rankings for special education.


 

Below you'll see a list of the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Special Ed Students Working on Their Master's

1
1,214 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IN
#1 Best Quality In IN

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education has to take a look at Ball State University. Located in the small city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Indiana.

There were about 1,214 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $46,400 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in special education from Ball State University

2
1,202 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
#4 Best Quality In AZ

Grand Canyon University is a popular choice for students pursuing a master's degree in special education. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the city of Phoenix. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Arizona.

There were approximately 1,202 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Grand Canyon University in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $43,300.

More information about a master’s in special education from Grand Canyon University

3
Touro crest
Touro College
New York, NY
571 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
#13 Best Quality In NY

Touro College is a popular choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Touro is a large private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York.

There were approximately 571 special education students who graduated with this degree at Touro in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's recipients from the special education degree program at Touro College get $13,090 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in special education from Touro College

4
441 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In AZ
#1 Best Quality In AZ

Arizona State University - Skysong is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in special education. ASU - Skysong is a very large public university located in the city of Scottsdale. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Arizona.

There were approximately 441 special education students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in special education from Arizona State University - Skysong

5
341 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In VA
#1 Best Quality In VA

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Virginia.

There were approximately 341 special education students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the special education major at George Mason University make $8,090 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from George Mason University

6
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
337 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In UT
#2 Best Quality In UT

Located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Utah.

There were about 337 special education students who graduated with this degree at WGU in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $47,300 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in special education from Western Governors University

7
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, CA
315 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#5 Best Quality In CA

National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of La Jolla. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for master's degrees in special education in California.

There were approximately 315 special education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available.

Special Education master's degree recipients from National University earn a boost of around $11,490 above the typical income of special education majors.

More information about a master’s in special education from National University

7
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
315 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NY
#3 Best Quality In NY

Hunter is a very large public college located in the large city of New York. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for master's degrees in special education in New York.

There were approximately 315 special education students who graduated with this degree at Hunter in the most recent year we have data available.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Hunter College earn a boost of approximately $14,990 over the average income of special education majors.

More information about a master’s in special education from Hunter College

9
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
290 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In VA
#9 Best Quality In VA

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #9 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Virginia.

There were approximately 290 special education students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program make around $41,900 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in special education from Liberty University

10
238 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In NY
#16 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large suburb of Bronxville, Concordia College - New York is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were approximately 238 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Concordia College - New York in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in special education from Concordia College - New York

11
176 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In NY
#7 Best Quality In NY

Pace University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #7 in quality for master's degrees in special education in New York.

There were approximately 176 special education students who graduated with this degree at Pace University in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the special education major at Pace University - New York make $15,990 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in special education from Pace University - New York

12
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
171 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In NY
#9 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Brooklyn College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #9 in quality for master's degrees in special education in New York.

There were roughly 171 special education students who graduated with this degree at Brooklyn College in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's recipients from the special education program at Brooklyn College get $18,390 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in special education from Brooklyn College

13
Daemen College crest
Daemen College
Amherst, NY
165 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Most Popular In NY
#32 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large suburb of Amherst, Daemen College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 165 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Daemen College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in special education from Daemen College

14
Endicott crest
Endicott College
Beverly, MA
162 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#2 Best Quality In MA

Located in the large suburb of Beverly, Endicott is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Massachusetts.

There were about 162 special education students who graduated with this degree at Endicott in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in special education from Endicott College

15
156 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In ND
#1 Best Quality In ND

UND is a large public university located in the small city of Grand Forks. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in North Dakota.

There were about 156 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $46,000 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in special education from University of North Dakota

16
152 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AR
#3 Best Quality In AR

Located in the small city of Jonesboro, A-State is a public university with a large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Arkansas.

There were roughly 152 special education students who graduated with this degree at A-State in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program report average early career income of $43,700.

More information about a master’s in special education from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

17
143 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#1 Best Quality In CA

Brandman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Irvine. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in California.

There were approximately 143 special education students who graduated with this degree at Brandman in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in special education from Brandman University

18
141 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MA
#11 Best Quality In MA

AIC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Springfield.

There were roughly 141 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at AIC in the most recent data year.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $49,200 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in special education from American International College

19
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY
139 Annual Master's Degrees
#7 Most Popular In NY
#14 Best Quality In NY

Located in the suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 139 special education students who graduated with this degree at LIU Post in the most recent year we have data available.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from LIU Post make $14,490 more than the standard special ed student.

More information about a master’s in special education from LIU Post

20
137 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#3 Best Quality In FL

UWF is a large public university located in the city of Pensacola. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Florida.

There were approximately 137 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at UWF in the most recent data year.

After graduation, special ed master's recipients generally earn about $47,400 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in special education from The University of West Florida

21
Lamar University crest
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX
134 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#15 Best Quality In TX

Located in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 134 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Lamar University in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $49,800 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in special education from Lamar University

21
134 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#5 Best Quality In TX

Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #5 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Texas.

There were about 134 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, special ed master's recipients usually earn about $46,800 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in special education from Texas Tech University

23
128 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In CA
#30 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of San Diego, UAGC is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 128 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in special education from The University of Arizona Global Campus

24
126 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In KY
#3 Best Quality In KY

Located in the remote town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Kentucky.

There were roughly 126 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at Cumberlands in the most recent data year.

After graduation, special ed master's recipients typically earn about $37,200 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in special education from University of the Cumberlands

25
121 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NV
#1 Best Quality In NV

Located in the medium-sized city of Las Vegas, UNLV is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in special education in Nevada.

There were approximately 121 special education individuals who graduated with this degree at UNLV in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $50,300 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in special education from University of Nevada - Las Vegas

25
26
27
28
29
29
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
31
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

32
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA

33
USJ crest
University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, CT
34
35
36
37
Georgetown College crest
Georgetown College
Georgetown, KY
38
Cambridge College crest
Cambridge College
Boston, MA
39
40
William Carey University crest
William Carey University
Hattiesburg, MS

41

42
43
44
45
Wilmington University crest
Wilmington University
New Castle, DE
45
47
48
49

Additional Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 627 different United States special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
49 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
51 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
52 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN
53 Simmons University Boston, MA
54 Manhattanville College Purchase, NY
54 Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY
54 Lesley University Cambridge, MA
57 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
57 Towson University Towson, MD
59 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
59 Florida International University Miami, FL
61 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
61 Holy Family University Philadelphia, PA
63 Mississippi College Clinton, MS
63 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
65 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
65 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
65 Merrimack College North Andover, MA
65 Queens College Queens, NY
69 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
69 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
71 Kean University Union, NJ
72 University of North Texas Denton, TX
72 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
74 Concordia University, Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN
75 New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ
76 Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY
76 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
78 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
78 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
78 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
78 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
78 National Louis University Chicago, IL
83 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
83 The City College of New York New York, NY
83 Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT
86 Elms College Chicopee, MA
86 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
86 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
86 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
90 Niagara University Niagara University, NY
90 University of Maine Orono, ME
92 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
93 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
94 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
94 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY
94 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
94 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education award.

Rank College Location
98 University of Wisconsin - Superior Superior, WI
98 Lehman College Bronx, NY
100 Emporia State University Emporia, KS
100 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
102 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
102 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
102 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
102 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
102 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
102 Cardinal Stritch University Milwaukee, WI
108 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
108 Boston University Boston, MA
108 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
108 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
112 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
112 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
112 Radford University Radford, VA
112 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD
116 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
117 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
117 Concordia University, Chicago River Forest, IL
117 Francis Marion University Florence, SC
117 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
121 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
121 Buffalo State Buffalo, NY
121 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
121 University of St. Thomas Houston, TX
121 George Washington University Washington, DC
121 Fordham University Bronx, NY

Special Education by Region

View the Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Special Education for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Special Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 13,712
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,705
Elementary Special Education 884
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 780
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 418
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 406
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 325
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 319
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 220

Related Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 28,194
Teacher Education Grade Specific 26,246
General Education 18,793
Teacher Education Subject Specific 16,775
Curriculum & Instruction 15,283
Student Counseling 12,643
Instructional Media Design 6,191
Teaching English or French 3,473
Other Education 2,066
Multilingual Education 746

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options