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2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in New York

28 Colleges in New York
3,144 Master's Degrees
$63,623 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #8 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 28 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,144 master's degrees in special education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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

Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in New York Your choice of special education for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for special education students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Special Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The special ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in New York.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in New York

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.

10 Top New York Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY

It's hard to beat Hunter College if you wish to pursue a master's degree in special education. Located in the large city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from Hunter College earn $13,559 more than the average special ed graduate.

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

2
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Brooklyn College is a large public college located in the city of Brooklyn.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Brooklyn College receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,055 above the average earnings of special education graduates.

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

3
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

Syracuse University is a great decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in special education. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse.

Soon after graduating, special ed master's recipients generally earn an average of $60,047 in their early careers.

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

4

The City College of New York is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the large city of New York, CCNY is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from The City College of New York earn $13,213 more than the typical special ed graduate.

More information about a master’s in special education from The City College of New York

5
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY

LIU Post is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Brookville.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from LIU Post earn $12,245 more than the average special ed graduate.

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

6
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, NY

Located in the large city of Queens, QC is a public college with a large student population.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from Queens College earn $10,873 more than the standard special ed grad.

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

7
Hofstra crest
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY

Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the special education major at Hofstra University make $12,641 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

8
Molloy crest
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY

Molloy is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Rockville Centre.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $53,653 for their early career.

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

9
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY

Located in the suburb of Garden City, Adelphi is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from Adelphi University earn $3,950 more than the standard special ed graduate.

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

10

STJ is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Queens.

Those special education students who get their master's degree from St John's University - New York receive $11,818 more than the standard special ed student.

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

Best Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 248 910
Maryland 193 142
New Jersey 188 583
District of Columbia 154 80
Delaware 109 155

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 909
Elementary Special Education 843
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 722
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 381
Other Special Education & Teaching 94
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 57
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 45
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 34
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 23
Education of the Deaf 16

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 3,288
Teacher Education Subject Specific 3,089
Educational Administration 1,136
Teaching English or French 704
Student Counseling 686
Instructional Media Design 374
Curriculum & Instruction 255
General Education 193
International Education 97
Multilingual Education 76

Notes and References

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