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Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

83 Colleges
$28,210 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$42,394 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

With 25,158 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, special education is the #10 most popular major in the United States.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 Great Lakes Region

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

Top 15% Best Special Education Schools

#1

Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI

Our 2023 rankings named Viterbo University the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for special education students. Viterbo is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of La Crosse.

Viterbo undergraduate students pay an average of $29,920 in tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Viterbo also did well on our Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Special Education at Viterbo University

#2

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wisconsin Lutheran College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WLC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.

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

On top of its placing in our value ranking, WLC also did well on our Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Special Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College

#3

Ashland University

Ashland, OH
$23,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ashland University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Ashland.

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

Read More…

#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olivet Nazarene University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Olivet Nazarene excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

Full Special Education at Olivet Nazarene University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $24,172 in tuition and fees each year.

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

Read full report on Special Education at Illinois State University

#6

Alverno College

Milwaukee, WI
$31,258 Average Tuition & Fees

Alverno College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Alverno is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.

Alverno undergraduate students pay an average of $31,258 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Alverno College

#6

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI
$31,080 Average Tuition & Fees

Spring Arbor University 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. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Arbor.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spring Arbor are $31,080 per year.

Read full report on Special Education at Spring Arbor University

#8

Muskingum University

New Concord, OH
$30,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Muskingum University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the distant town of New Concord, Muskingum is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Muskingum undergraduate students pay an average of $30,090 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at Muskingum University Report

#9

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL
$33,275 Average Tuition & Fees

Trinity Christian College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Trinity Christian is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Palos Heights.

Trinity Christian undergraduate students pay an average of $33,275 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Trinity Christian College

#10

Carroll University

Waukesha, WI

Carroll University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Waukesha, Carroll U is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Carroll U are $35,140 a year.

Carroll U also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Special Education at Carroll University Report

#11

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, IL
$34,310 Average Tuition & Fees

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Concordia University, Chicago are $34,310 a year.

Full Special Education at Concordia University, Chicago Report

#12

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH
$9,732 Average Tuition & Fees

Youngstown State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #12 on the list. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the small city of Youngstown.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Youngstown State University are $9,732 per year.

Full Special Education at Youngstown State University Report

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
13 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
14 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
15 Concordia University, Wisconsin Mequon, WI
16 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 287
Illinois 631
Ohio 484
Indiana 2,044
Wisconsin 288

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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