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2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

15 Colleges in Pennsylvania
884 Master's Degrees
$55,888 Avg Early-Career Salary
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.

College Factual looked at 15 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 884 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

Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania 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 quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination 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.

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

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA

Saint Joseph's University 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 Philadelphia, St. Joe's is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program state that they receive average early career earnings of $56,588.

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

2
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education needs to look into Temple University. Temple is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $57,286 in their early career salary.

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

3
24 Annual Graduates

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in special education. Pitt is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Pittsburgh.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

4
11 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education has to look into University of Scranton. Located in the small city of Scranton, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in special education from University of Scranton

5

Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

Soon after graduation, special ed master's recipients generally make about $53,801 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in special education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

6
13 Annual Graduates

Millersville is a medium-sized public university located in the suburb of Millersville.More information about a master’s in special education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania

7

Located in the fringe town of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

After graduating, special ed master's recipients typically make around $57,691 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in special education from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

8
Holy Family crest
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Holy Family is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Special Education master's degree recipients from Holy Family University get an earnings boost of around $9,079 above the average earnings of special education majors.

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

9

Located in the suburb of Radnor, Cabrini University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Master's recipients from the special education program at Cabrini University get $5,020 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

10
CHC crest
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, CHC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in special education from Chestnut Hill College

Best Special Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 261 3,329
Maryland 193 142
New Jersey 188 583
District of Columbia 154 80
Delaware 109 155

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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 789
Elementary Special Education 37
Other Special Education & Teaching 27
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 11
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 8
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 6
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 5
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,028
Educational Administration 867
Teacher Education Grade Specific 784
General Education 732
Curriculum & Instruction 377
Student Counseling 367
Instructional Media Design 331
Other Education 168
Teaching English or French 163
Educational Assessment 69

Notes and References

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