2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Special Education is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #8 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For 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. Combined, these schools handed out 2,822 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree
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:
Overall Quality Is a Must
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 school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Early-Career Salaries
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.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on special education students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other special education students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for special education to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized special education related body.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in the Great Lakes Region
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.
10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Master's in Special Ed
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 receive $3,371 more than the typical special ed grad.
More information about a master’s in special education from Ball State University
Illinois State University is a good decision for students interested in a master's degree in special education. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal.
After graduating, special ed master's recipients typically earn about $56,893 in their early careers.
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 medium-sized student population.
Special Education master's degree recipients from Concordia University, Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $9,086 over the typical income of special education majors.
More information about a master’s in special education from Concordia University, Chicago
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education has 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 graduating, special ed master's recipients generally make an average of $48,430 in the first five years of their career.
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 earnings of $57,174.
More information about a master’s in special education from Eastern Michigan University
