Best institutions to study Special Education and Teaching
Compare 861 U.S. colleges offering Special Education and Teaching by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 54 states.
Special Education and Teaching programs report a median of $44,404 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 13.10 and the Special Education Teachers, Preschool occupation (BLS SOC).
About Special Education and Teaching programs
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 requiring additional support in their educational journey.
Students in this program will develop essential skills such as active listening, critical thinking, and effective communication. Coursework typically covers topics in psychology, education, and specialized teaching strategies to address the needs of diverse learners.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · Graduate degree | $71,293 | 34 | 86% | — | $22,607 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University - World Campus University Park, PA Public · Graduate degree | $71,293 | 48 | 34% | — | $22,607 |
| 3 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $62,346 | 88 | 60% | $29,994 | $24,000 |
| 4 | Utah State University Logan, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $61,474 | 107 | 59% | — | $18,125 |
| 5 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI Public · Bachelor's degree | $60,396 | 79 | 64% | — | $16,500 |
| 6 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $56,009 | 20 | 63% | — | — |
| 7 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $55,881 | 64 | 84% | $28,851 | $27,000 |
| 8 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $53,935 | 56 | 46% | — | $9,671 |
| 9 | Towson University Towson, MD Public · Bachelor's degree | $53,331 | 209 | 69% | — | $19,750 |
| 10 | Nevada State University Henderson, NV Public · Bachelor's degree | $53,159 | 14 | 34% | — | $22,334 |
| 11 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $52,912 | 78 | 65% | — | $29,284 |
| 12 | York College of Pennsylvania York, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $52,199 | 5 | 64% | $18,682 | $27,000 |
| 13 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $51,922 | 42 | 85% | — | $18,925 |
| 14 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $51,664 | 63 | 58% | — | $29,737 |
| 15 | Salve Regina University Newport, RI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $51,308 | 23 | 77% | $31,899 | $27,000 |
| 16 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $51,306 | 33 | 80% | — | $19,500 |
| 17 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,975 | 12 | 77% | — | — |
| 18 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,698 | 66 | 79% | $34,418 | $27,000 |
| 19 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,647 | 26 | 45% | — | — |
| 20 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,645 | 53 | 54% | — | $27,000 |
| 21 | Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,641 | 49 | 50% | — | $27,000 |
| 22 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,331 | 38 | 81% | $13,712 | — |
| 23 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,327 | 41 | 43% | — | $27,000 |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,174 | 72 | 90% | — | $22,863 |
| 25 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,159 | 84 | 54% | — | $27,000 |
| 26 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,061 | 118 | 53% | — | $27,000 |
| 27 | Rhode Island College Providence, RI Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,060 | 51 | 48% | — | $29,851 |
| 28 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,882 | 141 | 68% | — | $19,375 |
| 29 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,835 | 28 | 56% | — | $28,500 |
| 30 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,827 | 278 | 51% | — | $11,000 |
| 31 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,771 | 79 | 85% | — | $18,387 |
| 32 | Providence College Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,664 | 40 | 86% | $32,048 | $27,000 |
| 33 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,494 | 164 | 67% | — | $30,350 |
| 34 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,413 | 29 | 20% | — | $5,500 |
| 35 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,262 | 59 | 39% | — | — |
| 36 | Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,134 | 6 | 43% | — | $26,812 |
| 37 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,840 | 13 | 58% | $15,126 | $35,611 |
| 38 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,773 | 16 | 83% | — | $26,276 |
| 39 | Alvernia University Reading, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,649 | 12 | 56% | $27,683 | — |
| 40 | Hope College Holland, MI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,630 | 11 | 80% | $21,746 | — |
| 41 | Kean University Union, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,628 | 47 | 47% | — | $27,000 |
| 42 | Carthage College Kenosha, WI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,593 | 5 | 64% | $22,844 | $25,954 |
| 43 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,378 | 31 | 49% | — | $26,000 |
| 44 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,358 | 215 | 65% | — | $20,436 |
| 45 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,302 | 28 | 57% | $21,997 | $27,000 |
| 46 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,147 | 101 | 78% | — | — |
| 47 | University of Hartford West Hartford, CT Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,049 | 83 | 54% | $28,311 | $27,000 |
| 48 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,868 | 148 | 58% | — | $31,000 |
| 49 | Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,820 | 46 | 46% | — | $18,229 |
| 50 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,734 | 25 | 69% | — | $13,509 |
Offered across 54 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 25-2051, Special Education Teachers, Preschool, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Special Education and Teaching program can pursue careers in various educational settings, focusing on supporting students with disabilities. The job outlook indicates a growth rate of 1.4%, with approximately 2,100 annual openings and a median wage of $62,190, typically requiring a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Special Education and Teaching
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 13.10.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 13.10 (Special Education and Teaching) maps to 9 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 25-1081 | Education Teachers, Postsecondary |
| 25-2051 | Special Education Teachers, Preschoolprimary |
| 25-2055 | Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten |
| 25-2056 | Special Education Teachers, Elementary School |
| 25-2057 | Special Education Teachers, Middle School |
| 25-2058 | Special Education Teachers, Secondary School |
| 25-2059 | Special Education Teachers, All Other |
| 25-9043 | Teaching Assistants, Special Education |
| 27-3091 | Interpreters and Translators |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Special Education and Teaching programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.
- Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).
Concentrations within Special Education and Teaching
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Special Education and Teaching, GeneralCIP 13.1001
A general program that focuses on the design and provision of teaching and other educational services to children or adults with special learning needs or disabilities, and that may prepare individual
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including DeafnessCIP 13.1003
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with hearing impairments including deafness which adversely affect their educational performance, and that may prepa
- Education/Teaching of the Gifted and TalentedCIP 13.1004
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults exhibiting exceptional intellectual, psychomotor or artistic talent or potential, or who exhibit exceptional maturit
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional DisturbancesCIP 13.1005
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with emotional conditions which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepare individuals to t
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual DisabilitiesCIP 13.1006
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with intellectual disabilities which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepare individuals
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple DisabilitiesCIP 13.1007
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with multiple disabilities which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepare individuals to
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health ImpairmentsCIP 13.1008
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with orthopedic and other health impairments which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepa
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including BlindnessCIP 13.1009
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with visual disabilities which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepare individuals to te
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning DisabilitiesCIP 13.1011
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with specific learning disabilities which adversely affect their educational performance and that may prepare indivi
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language ImpairmentsCIP 13.1012
A program that focuses on the study and design of educational services for children or adults with speech and language impairments which adversely affect their educational performance and that may pre
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with AutismCIP 13.1013
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults with autism, and that prepares individuals to teach such students
- Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally DelayedCIP 13.1014
A program that focuses on the design of educational services for children or adults who exhibit slow social, physical, cognitive, or emotional growth patterns related to age, or a combination of such
Common questions
What is the focus of the Special Education and Teaching program?+
The program focuses on equipping students with the skills to teach individuals with disabilities and special needs.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, and specialized teaching strategies.
What is the job outlook for graduates?+
The job outlook shows a growth rate of 1.4% with about 2,100 annual openings.
What level of education is typically required?+
A Bachelor's degree is typically required for careers in special education.
How much do Special Education and Teaching graduates earn?+
Special Education and Teaching graduates report median earnings of $44,404 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Special Education Teachers, Preschool occupation pays about $76,380 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Special Education and Teaching?+
Special Education and Teaching maps to CIP 13.10 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
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.
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