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Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

13 Colleges
$18,770 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$46,837 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

Special Education is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 1,110 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 9th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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 in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in Virginia 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.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Special Education Colleges.

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named James Madison University the best value school in Virginia for special education students. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, JMU is ranked #5 for overall quality for special ed in Virginia.

Full Special Education at James Madison University Report

$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

University of Virginia also made our Best Special Education Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #1.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 13 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the # 2 spot on the list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year.

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

Read More…

#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Mary Washington. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.

UMW undergraduate students pay an average of $13,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Mary Washington

#5

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
$16,160 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Liberty University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.

Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Liberty University

#6

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

Radford University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year.

Full Special Education at Radford University Report

#7

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, William & Mary did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at William & Mary are $23,812 per year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, William & Mary is ranked #4 for overall quality for special ed in Virginia.

Read full report on Special Education at William & Mary

#8

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA
$33,500 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, University of Lynchburg did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.

Lynchburg undergraduate students pay an average of $33,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at University of Lynchburg Report

#9

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Old Dominion University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Old Dominion are $10,800 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Old Dominion University

$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. VCU is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at VCU are $15,028 a year.

Full Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University Report

Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Florida 689
Georgia 398
North Carolina 194
Tennessee 146
Kentucky 428
Louisiana 82
Alabama 248
South Carolina 118
Mississippi 216
Arkansas 304
West Virginia 41

Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Special Ed

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 13 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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