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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

544 Colleges
$26,210 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$45,679 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, 25,158 special education students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Value Special Education Schools ranking. This report analyzed 544 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for special ed students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for special ed majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Special Education

#1

La Salle University

Philadelphia, PA
$33,150 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the United States for special education students. Located in the city of Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

La Salle undergraduate students pay an average of $33,150 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at La Salle University

#2

Cabrini University

Radnor, PA
$33,845 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cabrini University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. Cabrini University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Radnor.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cabrini University are $33,845 per year.

Read More…

#3

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools list. Located in the distant town of Orange City, NWC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NWC are $33,590 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NWC also is in the top 5% of our Best Special Education Schools ranking.

Read More…

#4

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, KY
$9,875 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of the Cumberlands. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. Cumberlands is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Williamsburg.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cumberlands are $9,875 a year.

Read More…

#5

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA
$35,270 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Morningside College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools list. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Morningside are $35,270 per year.

Read More…

#6

Universidad del Este

Carolina, PR
$5,820 Average Tuition & Fees

Universidad del Este did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Carolina, UNE is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

UNE undergraduate students pay an average of $5,820 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Universidad del Este

With a ranking of #7, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Minnesota State Mankato is a large public school located in the city of Mankato.

Minnesota State Mankato undergraduate students pay an average of $18,200 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Minnesota State Mankato also is in the top 15% of our Best Special Education Schools ranking.

Read full report on Special Education at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#8

Worcester State University

Worcester, MA
$16,666 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Worcester State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Located in the midsize city of Worcester, Worcester State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Worcester State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,666 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Provo.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year.

BYU also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

With a ranking of #10, Concordia University, Irvine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Concordia University, Irvine are $38,740 per year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Concordia University, Irvine is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools list.

Read More…

#11

Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI

Viterbo University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. Viterbo is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Crosse.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Viterbo are $29,920 a year.

Viterbo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools list.

Read More…

#12

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

Western Governors University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

WGU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,452 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at Western Governors University Report

#13

Flagler College - St Augustine

Saint Augustine, FL
$21,140 Average Tuition & Fees

Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler St. Augustine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Flagler St. Augustine are $21,140 per year.

Read More…

#14

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI

Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. WLC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.

WLC undergraduate students pay an average of $32,766 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WLC also is in the top 5% of our Best Special Education Schools ranking.

Full Special Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College Report

#15

Ashland University

Ashland, OH
$23,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Ashland University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools ranking. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Ashland.

Ashland undergraduate students pay an average of $23,090 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Ashland University

#16

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA
$16,735 Average Tuition & Fees

Fitchburg State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. Located in the suburb of Fitchburg, Fitchburg State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Fitchburg State are $16,735 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Fitchburg State University

#17

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN

Hamline University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hamline are $46,221 per year.

Hamline also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Special Education at Hamline University

#18

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA

With a ranking of #18, University of Scranton did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Located in the small city of Scranton, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Scranton are $48,462 per year.

University of Scranton also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Scranton

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools ranking. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.

PLNU undergraduate students pay an average of $39,500 in tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, PLNU also did well on our Best Special Education Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Special Education at Point Loma Nazarene University Report

#20

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

Brandman University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Brandman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Brandman are $12,480 per year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Brandman is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools list.

Full Special Education at Brandman University Report

#21

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, TX
$11,726 Average Tuition & Fees

MSU Texas came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools ranking. MSU Texas is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Wichita Falls.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU Texas are $11,726 per year.

Read More…

#21

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD

McDaniel College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the suburb of Westminster, McDaniel is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at McDaniel are $46,336 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, McDaniel also is in the top 15% of our Best Special Education Schools ranking.

Read More…

#23

Gordon College

Wenham, MA
$26,250 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #23, Gordon College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Located in the large suburb of Wenham, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Gordon College undergraduate students pay an average of $26,250 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Gordon College

$8,163 Average Tuition & Fees

Minot State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.

MSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,163 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#25

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools list. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Olivet Nazarene are $37,440 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Olivet Nazarene also is in the top 20% of our Best Special Education Schools ranking.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Special Education Schools

#29

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE
#30

Wayne State College

Wayne, NE
#31

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA
#31

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN
#33

Wilson College

Chambersburg, PA
#35

Winona State University

Winona, MN
#35

Providence College

Providence, RI
#37

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, PA
#38

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI
#38

Alverno College

Milwaukee, WI
#40

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN
#42

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA
#43

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA
#44

Muskingum University

New Concord, OH
#45

Granite State College

Concord, NH
#46

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL
#49

Carroll University

Waukesha, WI

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Special Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 544 different United States special education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
52 Concordia University, Chicago River Forest, IL
53 Seattle University Seattle, WA
54 Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX
55 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN
56 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
57 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA
58 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
59 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
59 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
61 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
62 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
63 Concordia University, Wisconsin Mequon, WI
63 Holy Family University Philadelphia, PA
65 Georgetown College Georgetown, KY
66 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
67 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
67 Midland University Fremont, NE
69 Asbury University Wilmore, KY
70 Harding University Searcy, AR
71 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
72 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
72 Mount St. Joseph University Cincinnati, OH
74 Marian University Fond Du Lac, WI
75 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
75 Mount Vernon Nazarene University Mount Vernon, OH
77 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
78 Marywood University Scranton, PA
79 Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN
80 Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, CA
80 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
80 University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great value schools for Special Education graduate students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Special Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
83 Delta State University Cleveland, MS
84 Carson - Newman University Jefferson City, TN
85 University of St Francis Joliet, IL
86 Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Portales, NM
87 John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR
88 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
89 Piedmont College Demorest, GA
90 National University La Jolla, CA
90 Aurora University Aurora, IL
92 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
93 National Louis University Chicago, IL
93 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
95 Baker University Baldwin City, KS
96 Cardinal Stritch University Milwaukee, WI
96 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
98 Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR
98 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
100 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
100 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ
102 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
103 Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA
104 Spalding University Louisville, KY
105 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
105 Touro College New York, NY
107 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD
108 Friends University Wichita, KS

Special Education by Region

View the Best Value Special Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 14 majors within the area of study, special education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 45,458
Teacher Education Grade Specific 34,451
General Education 21,189
Teacher Education Subject Specific 20,616
Curriculum & Instruction 19,784

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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