Special Education
Special Education is a versatile degree that prepares students for a wide range of professional opportunities. With 3,440 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Special Education and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,487 Median In-State Public
$35,712 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Special Education majors are, on average, $8,487 for in-state public colleges, and $35,712 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Special Education programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
33,988 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Special Education from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Special Education.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 156,755 |
| 2 | Western Governors University | UT | 135,822 |
| 3 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 76,996 |
| 4 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 68,619 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Special Education programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 2 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Compton College | CA | $1,142 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Special Education programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $10 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 3 | Cleveland Community College | NC | $414 |
| 4 | Coahoma Community College | MS | $560 |
| 5 | Henry Ford College | MI | $576 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Special Education programs.
Graduation Rates
61.16% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
60.42% Average Graduation Rate
132 Institutions Reporting
47.09% - 77.14% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Special Education programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Special Education graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$62,288 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Special Education majors is $62,288.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Special Education majors.
Occupations by Share
3,440 2023 Workforce
The number of Special Education graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Special Education by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Special Education degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
N/A Median Student Debt
N/A Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
nan% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
$68,356 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for Special Education degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Special Education in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Special Education.
Age distribution for Special Education degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Special Education degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Special Education degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Special Education are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Special Education.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Special Education field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Special Education majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Special Education majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Special Education majors.
About
Special Education
In 2023, 33,988 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Special Education.
CIP Code
00.1310 - Special Education
Insights and Analysis
Special Education offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.