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2025 Best Special Education Schools in Ohio

23 Colleges in Ohio
1,387 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$52,862 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in Ohio to determine which ones were the best for special education students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,387 degrees in special education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Ohio The special ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Special Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Special Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Special Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

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 Best Special Education Schools in Ohio list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Special Education in Ohio

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Ohio Schools in Special Ed

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
246 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$38,671 Median Starting Salary

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in special education. Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #547 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means BGSU is a great university overall.

There were about 246 special education students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, special ed degree recipients usually earn around $38,671 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in special education from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
18.0% Growth in Graduates

Kent State University at Kent is a great decision for students interested in a degree in special education. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 89 special education students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $41,493.

More information about a degree in special education from Kent State University at Kent

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$45,260 Median Starting Salary

University of Dayton is a great option for students interested in a degree in special education. Located in the midsize city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #227 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UDayton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 33 special education students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $45,260 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Dayton

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$46,666 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in special education has to check out University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 151 special education students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $46,666.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

5
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, OH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$44,169 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Ashland, Ashland is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #784 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ashland is a great university overall.

There were approximately 56 special education students who graduated with this degree at Ashland in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career income of $44,169.

More information about a degree in special education from Ashland University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$45,213 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 33 special education students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program state that they receive average early career wages of $45,213.

More information about a degree in special education from Ohio State University - Main Campus

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 78 special education students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $45,922.

More information about a degree in special education from Miami University - Oxford

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
29.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 71 special education students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $41,523 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Ohio University - Athens Campus

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
19.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #827 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Akron Main Campus is a great university overall.

There were about 97 special education students who graduated with this degree at University of Akron Main Campus in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, special ed degree recipients generally earn an average of $35,940 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Akron Main Campus

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
29th Most Popular In OH
7.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Cincinnati, Mount St. Joe is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 63rd out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 14 special education students who graduated with this degree at Mount St. Joe in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Mount St. Joseph University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 596
Illinois 304 1,090
Indiana 294 1,835
Wisconsin 273 527

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 724
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 302
Education of the Deaf 96
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 53
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 48
Other Special Education & Teaching 42
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 39
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 36
Elementary Special Education 24
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 12

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 3,733
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,678
Educational Administration 1,076
General Education 757
Curriculum & Instruction 437
Student Counseling 327
Other Education 196
Instructional Media Design 191
Teaching English or French 92
Educational Assessment 49

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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