by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 41 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for special education students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,742 master's degrees in special education during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The special ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality special ed program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for special education students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.
It's hard to beat Ball State University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in special education. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those special education students who get their master's degree from Ball State University make $3,371 more than the standard special ed grad.
More information about a master’s in special education from Ball State University
Illinois State University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
Soon after graduating, special ed master's recipients generally make about $56,893 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in special education from Illinois State University
Concordia University, Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Special Education master's degree recipients from Concordia University, Chicago receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,086 over the average earnings of special education graduates.
More information about a master’s in special education from Concordia University, Chicago
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education needs to take a look at Kent State University at Kent. Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, special ed master's recipients usually earn around $48,430 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in special education from Kent State University at Kent
Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan is a public university with a large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program state that they receive average early career income of $57,174.
More information about a master’s in special education from Eastern Michigan University
WMU is a large public university located in the city of Kalamazoo.
Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $56,065.
More information about a master’s in special education from Western Michigan University
Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program state that they receive average early career income of $55,064.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.
Special Education master's degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of around $6,662 above the average earnings of special education graduates.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing.
Soon after graduating, special ed master's recipients usually earn around $57,308 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in special education from Michigan State University
UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 4,121 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 2,933 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 2,422 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 2,307 |
| General Education | 1,282 |
| Student Counseling | 1,233 |
| Instructional Media Design | 796 |
| Multilingual Education | 296 |
| Teaching English or French | 224 |
| Other Education | 90 |
