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2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina

4 Colleges in North Carolina
101 Master's Degrees
$50,433 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in special education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #8 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in North Carolina 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 101 master's degrees in special education during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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 North Carolina 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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

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 take this into account 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.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full 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

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 North Carolina.

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

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for special education students seeking a a master's degree.

Top North Carolina Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1
29 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in special education needs to check out University of North Carolina at Charlotte. UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the large city of Charlotte.More information about a master’s in special education from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

2

East Carolina University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in special education. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, special ed master's recipients typically earn about $50,433 in their early careers.

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

3

It's hard to beat Elon University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in special education. Elon is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize suburb of Elon.More information about a master’s in special education from Elon University

4
28 Annual Graduates

Appalachian State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in special education. Appalachian State is a very large public university located in the distant town of Boone.More information about a master’s in special education from Appalachian State University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 580
Georgia 190 265
Virginia 182 863
Tennessee 166 127
Alabama 151 210
Kentucky 147 391
Louisiana 147 47
South Carolina 146 102
Mississippi 145 216
Arkansas 121 227
West Virginia 112 41

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 72
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 15
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 10
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 4

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 763
Educational Administration 748
Student Counseling 464
Teacher Education Subject Specific 229
Curriculum & Instruction 161
Instructional Media Design 120
General Education 117
Teaching English or French 57
Other Education 21
Educational Assessment 7

Notes and References

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