Alabama · Special Education and Teaching

Best colleges for Special Education and Teaching in Alabama

Ranked by graduate earnings

The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Jacksonville State University are the top bachelor's Special Education and Teaching programs in Alabama by graduate earnings. The University of Alabama leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $45,631, College Scorecard. University of West Alabama, The University of Alabama and Auburn University award the most Special Education and Teaching degrees in Alabama: 131, 64 and 61 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 13 Alabama colleges offer Special Education and Teaching and award 377 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Special Education and Teaching program prepares students to work with individuals who have a range of disabilities and special needs. This program is ideal for those who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of students…

Institutions
13
offering CIP 13.10
States & territories
54
with a program page
Degrees / yr
377
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$42,774
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
$28,160
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
54%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Special Education Teachers, Preschool
—
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa Public · Bachelor's degree
$45,6316473%—$26,000
2Auburn University
Auburn Public · Bachelor's degree
$42,7746182%—$22,250
3Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville Public · Bachelor's degree
$42,1072355%—$24,250
4Athens State University
Athens Public · Bachelor's degree Degree completion Small program
$43,66811——$29,215

Colleges awarding the most Special Education and Teaching degrees in Alabama

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of West Alabama
Livingston Public
131Not reported
2The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa Public
64$45,631
3Auburn University
Auburn Public
61$42,774
4Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville Public
23$42,107
5Auburn University at Montgomery
Montgomery Public
21Not reported
6University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham Public
19Not reported
7University of South Alabama
Mobile Public
15Not reported
8University of North Alabama
Florence Public
8Not reported
9University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville Public
1Not reported
10Alabama State University
Montgomery Public
1Not reported
Show the other 3 Alabama colleges offering Special Education and Teaching
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Alabama A & M UniversityNormalPublic21
Athens State University (Degree completion)AthensPublic11
Samford UniversityBirminghamPrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Special Education Teachers, Preschool (SOC 25-2051).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+1.4%
Little or no change
Openings / yr (US)
~2,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$62,190
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringWriting

What Special Education Teachers, Preschool earn in Alabama

Jobs in Alabama
—
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
—
annual
Best-paying metro
—

Related careers

Education Teachers, Postsecondary
$68,550 avg · 840 jobs
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
$63,200 avg · 740 jobs
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
$60,220 avg · 460 jobs
Interpreters and Translators
$53,740 avg · 310 jobs
Special Education Teachers, All Other
$54,660 avg · 110 jobs
Special Education Teachers, Preschool
—

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Special Education and Teaching programs in Alabama.

Which Alabama colleges award the most Special Education and Teaching degrees?+

University of West Alabama (131 graduates a year), The University of Alabama (64 graduates a year) and Auburn University (61 graduates a year) award the most Special Education and Teaching degrees in Alabama, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 13 Alabama colleges offer Special Education and Teaching.

What is the best college for Special Education and Teaching in Alabama?+

By graduate earnings, The University of Alabama leads among bachelor's Special Education and Teaching programs in Alabama, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $45,631, College Scorecard. Auburn University and Jacksonville State University follow. By degrees awarded, University of West Alabama is the largest, with 131 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Special Education and Teaching program in Alabama has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, The University of Alabama tops the list at $45,631. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

What is the focus of the Special Education and Teaching program?+

The Special Education and Teaching program prepares students to work with individuals who have a range of disabilities and special needs. This program is ideal for those who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of students…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Special Education Teachers, Preschool?+

The national job outlook is about +1.4% growth with around 2,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card