Special Education Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 886 schools in the United States where you can earn abachelor’s degree in Special Education. This degree is more popular with female students, and about22% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 0.3% of Special Education graduates were international students.
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Education Levels of Special Education Majors
In the most recent reporting year, 33,988 students earned theirSpecial Education majors across all award levels. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in Special Education at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Certificate | 177 |
| Associate’s Degree | 1,437 |
| Bachelor’s Degree (this page) | 8,183 |
| Master’s Degree | 23,928 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 249 |
Earnings of Special Education Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees (All Award Levels)
The median salary for graduates holding abachelor’s degree in Special Education of $54,220 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.
A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.
| Years After Graduation | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $54,981 |
| 4 years | $54,220 |
| 5 years | $59,983 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker (program-wide, all award levels).
Student Debt (All Award Levels)
We do not have the data to estimate the median debt for graduates with this degree.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their bachelor’s degree in Special Education. About 89.7% of graduates with this degree are women.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 842 |
| Women | 7,341 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of Special Education graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Number of Grads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 6,366 | 77.8% |
| Asian | 113 | 1.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 862 | 10.5% |
| Black or African American | 366 | 4.5% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 33 | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 11 | 0.1% |
| Two or More Races | 218 | 2.7% |
| Race Unknown | 186 | 2.3% |
| International Students | 28 | 0.3% |
This degree is not very popular with international students. Only 0.3% of graduates fall into this category.
See the minority definition in the References below.
Most Popular Special Education Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,022 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. Learn more about the most popular below:
Ball State University tops the list of the most popular schools in the U.S. for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 1,723 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Grand Canyon University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,564 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Arizona State University Digital Immersion is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,555 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Western Governors University comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. This school awarded 898 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Touro University is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 754 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Lamar University comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 492 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
American College of Education is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 397 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
National University comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. This school awarded 352 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Liberty University is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 351 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
CUNY Hunter College comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. This school awarded 338 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of West Florida comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 322 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
George Mason University comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 313 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of the Cumberlands is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 304 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Illinois State University is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 263 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
St. Joseph's University-New York comes in at #15 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 263 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
CUNY Brooklyn College is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 259 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
CUNY Lehman College comes in at #17 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. This school awarded 214 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 213 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Niagara University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Special Education. During the most recent year for which we have data, 209 people received their bachelor's degree in Special Education from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a popular choice for Special Education majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 208 bachelor's degrees in Special Education in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Special Education here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Special Education Focus Areas
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors similar to Special Education that also offer bachelor’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 108,054 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 42,255 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 39,881 |
| Education, General | 27,481 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 21,331 |
References
The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
More about our data sources and methodologies.