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Special Education and Teaching Degree

170 schools compared · Average earnings $44,105/yr

Students study how to teach and support students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and emotional-behavioral challenges. Graduates typically pursue careers as special education teachers, behavioral specialists, inclusion coordinators, and disability services professionals in school districts. Special education teachers are in consistently high demand nationwide, often qualifying for loan forgiveness programs.

What Special Education and Teaching Graduates Do

Your career will likely begin in the classroom, working directly with students who have diverse learning, mental, or physical disabilities. You'll spend your days adapting curriculum for a small group in a resource room, co-teaching in a general education classroom, and developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This is a hands-on, relationship-driven role requiring constant collaboration with parents, counselors, and administrators. With experience, you can advance to a lead teacher or a special education coordinator for your district. Some pursue advanced degrees to teach future educators at the college level.

While the number of K-12 teaching positions faces slight headwinds, roles in postsecondary education are growing modestly. The impact of AI on this field is a tale of two careers. For teachers, the core, interpersonal work of building trust and managing a classroom has low AI exposure, making it a durable strength. However, AI will automate routine tasks like drafting reports and personalizing lesson plans. In contrast, related paths like interpreting are being fundamentally reshaped by AI, shifting human value away from basic translation and toward complex, nuanced communication where human judgment is critical.

Schools Offering

170

Avg Grad Earnings

$44,105/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

44/100

AI Automation Risk

High

45% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Special Education and Teaching graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 34,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Education teachers, postsecondary	$72,090 $51K$96K	5,600	+2.1%	49%
Special education teachers, secondary school	$69,590 $58K$87K	11,100	-1.6%	30%
Special education teachers, all other	$67,430 $53K$88K	2,900	+1.1%	48%
Special education teachers, middle school	$64,880 $59K$82K	6,300	-1.9%	31%
Special education teachers, preschool	$62,190 $49K$81K	2,100	+1.4%	20%
Interpreters and translators	$59,440 $45K$80K	6,900	+1.7%	88%

Education teachers, postsecondary

$72,090

$51K $96K

5,600 openings/yr +2.1% growth 49% AI risk

Special education teachers, secondary school

$69,590

$58K $87K

11,100 openings/yr -1.6% growth 30% AI risk

Special education teachers, all other

$67,430

$53K $88K

2,900 openings/yr +1.1% growth 48% AI risk

Special education teachers, middle school

$64,880

$59K $82K

6,300 openings/yr -1.9% growth 31% AI risk

Special education teachers, preschool

$62,190

$49K $81K

2,100 openings/yr +1.4% growth 20% AI risk

Interpreters and translators

$59,440

$45K $80K

6,900 openings/yr +1.7% growth 88% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

How do Special Education and Teaching programs stack up? See 170 schools ranked by earnings and value →

Best Schools for Special Education and Teaching

Top 20 of 170 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	64 64–65	$56,009/yr	28.2x
2	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	63 64–64	$52,912/yr	17.0x
3	Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL	61 63–62	$49,262/yr	45.9x
4	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	60 60–61	$60,396/yr	11.7x
5	Utah State University Logan, UT	59 59–61	$61,474/yr	13.7x
6	Miami Dade College Miami, FL	59 60–60	$53,935/yr	46.5x
7	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	59 60–60	$50,975/yr	19.6x
8	Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX	59 61–60	$47,820/yr	17.9x
9	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL	58 61–60	$46,866/yr	21.5x
10	Towson University Towson, MD	57 57–58	$53,331/yr	11.8x
11	Nevada State University Henderson, NV	57 58–58	$53,159/yr	19.9x
12	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	57 58–58	$51,922/yr	9.6x
13	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	57 58–58	$51,306/yr	11.7x
14	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	57 59–58	$49,827/yr	14.4x
15	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	57 59–58	$47,734/yr	19.5x
16	Utah Valley University Orem, UT	56 57–57	$50,647/yr	19.2x
17	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	56 57–57	$50,645/yr	11.8x
18	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA	56 57–57	$50,327/yr	12.2x
19	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	55 56–56	$50,061/yr	11.5x
20	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	55 57–57	$50,060/yr	12.0x
21	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	54 55–55	$50,174/yr	11.3x
22	CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY	54 55–55	$49,413/yr	15.8x
23	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	54 56–55	$48,147/yr	17.9x
24	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	54 56–55	$47,592/yr	14.5x
25	University of West Florida Pensacola, FL	54 56–55	$46,643/yr	17.6x
26	Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT	54 57–55	$46,271/yr	14.9x
27	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT	53 54–54	$50,641/yr	9.9x
28	Kean University Union, NJ	53 55–54	$48,628/yr	9.9x
29	Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK	53 56–54	$46,045/yr	15.6x
30	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	52 53–53	$49,882/yr	10.0x
31	Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD	52 54–54	$49,134/yr	12.6x
32	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN	52 54–53	$47,132/yr	12.5x
33	Winona State University Winona, MN	52 54–53	$46,697/yr	11.6x
34	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	52 54–53	$46,578/yr	10.2x
35	Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA	52 55–53	$45,167/yr	13.7x
36	Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA	52 58–54	$41,883/yr	16.4x
37	SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY	52 61–53	$38,978/yr	19.4x
38	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	51 54–53	$47,017/yr	11.7x
39	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	51 53–52	$46,508/yr	12.3x
40	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID	51 56–52	$43,252/yr	22.2x
41	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	51 56–52	$42,584/yr	16.6x
42	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	50 51–51	$51,664/yr	9.0x
43	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	50 52–51	$48,773/yr	11.2x
44	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	50 52–51	$48,378/yr	11.1x
45	Ball State University Muncie, IN	50 52–51	$47,499/yr	10.7x
46	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	50 54–51	$44,185/yr	14.9x
47	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	50 55–51	$43,283/yr	15.4x
48	Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL	49 51–50	$48,840/yr	6.2x
49	Illinois State University Normal, IL	49 51–51	$48,358/yr	7.8x
50	University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD	49 51–50	$46,439/yr	11.5x
51	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI	49 52–50	$44,945/yr	13.2x
52	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	48 49–49	$49,835/yr	8.2x
53	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	48 50–49	$47,610/yr	8.9x
54	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	48 51–49	$46,662/yr	10.7x
55	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	48 52–49	$44,121/yr	10.6x
56	University of Georgia Athens, GA	48 52–49	$43,137/yr	11.0x
57	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	48 53–49	$42,692/yr	14.9x
58	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	48 54–49	$41,376/yr	22.9x
59	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	48 54–49	$41,362/yr	17.8x
60	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	48 54–49	$41,362/yr	17.8x
61	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	48 54–49	$41,362/yr	17.8x
62	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	48 54–49	$41,362/yr	17.8x
63	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	48 54–49	$41,362/yr	17.8x
64	Florida International University Miami, FL	48 60–49	$36,598/yr	22.8x
65	Pace University New York, NY	47 46–48	$62,346/yr	2.2x
66	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	47 48–48	$50,331/yr	11.5x
67	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	47 48–48	$49,771/yr	6.5x
68	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	47 49–48	$49,494/yr	7.5x
69	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	47 50–48	$45,631/yr	9.5x
70	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI	47 50–48	$45,196/yr	10.1x
71	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI	47 51–48	$43,844/yr	12.2x
72	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	47 51–48	$42,967/yr	13.7x
73	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	47 53–48	$41,947/yr	13.9x
74	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA	46 47–47	$52,199/yr	4.3x
75	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	46 48–47	$47,868/yr	7.2x
76	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	46 49–48	$46,522/yr	7.9x
77	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	46 49–47	$45,213/yr	8.6x
78	Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN	46 49–47	$44,510/yr	9.8x
79	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR	46 49–47	$44,318/yr	10.0x
80	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA	46 50–47	$43,480/yr	10.7x
81	Westfield State University Westfield, MA	46 53–47	$40,429/yr	11.2x
82	Western Illinois University Macomb, IL	45 47–46	$46,729/yr	7.1x
83	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN	45 49–46	$44,104/yr	10.4x
84	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	45 49–47	$44,052/yr	11.0x
85	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	45 49–46	$44,009/yr	9.3x
86	Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL	45 49–46	$43,955/yr	8.7x
87	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	45 49–46	$43,718/yr	10.2x
88	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	45 49–46	$43,191/yr	9.3x
89	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	44 48–46	$44,664/yr	9.8x
90	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	44 48–46	$44,157/yr	8.0x
91	Auburn University Auburn, AL	44 49–45	$42,774/yr	9.1x
92	Boise State University Boise, ID	44 50–45	$42,303/yr	11.0x
93	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	44 54–45	$37,998/yr	14.9x
94	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	43 43–44	$55,881/yr	1.2x
95	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	43 46–44	$44,429/yr	7.8x
96	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	43 47–44	$43,777/yr	7.3x
97	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	43 51–44	$39,638/yr	11.3x
98	Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA	42 43–43	$50,698/yr	1.5x
99	La Salle University Philadelphia, PA	42 44–43	$48,302/yr	2.4x
100	Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA	42 45–43	$44,304/yr	4.8x
101	Dakota State University Madison, SD	42 47–43	$42,318/yr	10.2x
102	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM	42 57–44	$31,963/yr	19.2x
103	Salve Regina University Newport, RI	41 42–42	$51,308/yr	2.1x
104	Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	41 44–43	$47,295/yr	2.5x
105	Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI	41 44–43	$47,295/yr	2.5x
106	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	41 45–42	$44,205/yr	7.5x
107	Athens State University Athens, AL	41 45–42	$43,668/yr	—
108	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	41 46–42	$42,347/yr	6.8x
109	Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC	41 47–42	$42,147/yr	8.9x
110	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL	41 46–42	$42,107/yr	7.5x
111	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT	40 42–41	$48,049/yr	1.5x
112	Carroll University Waukesha, WI	40 43–42	$46,661/yr	2.1x
113	Lewis University Romeoville, IL	40 42–41	$45,831/yr	2.0x
114	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	40 47–41	$40,952/yr	8.8x
115	University of St Francis Joliet, IL	39 42–40	$45,323/yr	2.1x
116	Carson-Newman University Jefferson City, TN	39 42–40	$44,404/yr	2.2x
117	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	39 44–40	$43,258/yr	5.7x
118	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	39 45–40	$41,362/yr	7.5x
119	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY	39 46–40	$40,333/yr	8.3x
120	Vincennes University Vincennes, IN	39 47–40	$39,867/yr	12.6x
121	Providence College Providence, RI	38 40–39	$49,664/yr	1.5x
122	Hope College Holland, MI	38 40–40	$48,630/yr	2.1x
123	Carthage College Kenosha, WI	38 40–39	$48,593/yr	2.2x
124	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	38 44–39	$41,217/yr	7.6x
125	University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC	38 46–39	$40,322/yr	7.7x
126	Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA	37 39–39	$51,415/yr	1.4x
127	Thiel College Greenville, PA	37 42–38	$43,626/yr	2.0x
128	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	37 43–38	$41,871/yr	5.5x
129	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC	37 44–38	$40,435/yr	5.3x
130	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	37 44–38	$40,185/yr	9.2x
131	University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME	37 46–38	$39,458/yr	9.3x
132	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	37 47–38	$38,250/yr	11.2x
133	Alvernia University Reading, PA	36 38–38	$48,649/yr	1.7x
134	Mercyhurst University Erie, PA	36 38–37	$46,636/yr	1.8x
135	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	36 45–37	$38,807/yr	7.5x
136	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	35 38–36	$45,260/yr	1.7x
137	Neumann University Aston, PA	35 40–36	$42,488/yr	2.6x
138	Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI	35 41–36	$41,324/yr	2.2x
139	College of Charleston Charleston, SC	35 43–37	$39,832/yr	7.5x
140	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	35 44–36	$39,139/yr	7.8x
141	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY	35 44–36	$38,485/yr	9.5x
142	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY	35 46–36	$37,229/yr	9.4x
143	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY	35 38–36	$16,737/yr	14.9x
144	Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH	34 45–35	$37,020/yr	8.6x
145	Capital University Columbus, OH	33 38–34	$42,709/yr	2.0x
146	Anderson University Anderson, SC	33 40–34	$40,264/yr	2.0x
147	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	33 42–34	$38,671/yr	6.7x
148	Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO	33 42–34	$38,040/yr	8.6x
149	Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary of the Woods, IN	32 37–33	$41,943/yr	2.2x
150	Cabrini University Radnor, PA	32 39–33	$40,114/yr	2.7x
151	Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO	32 40–33	$40,033/yr	1.5x
152	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	32 40–33	$39,699/yr	4.3x
153	Morehead State University Morehead, KY	32 43–33	$36,999/yr	9.2x
154	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	32 46–33	$33,783/yr	13.0x
155	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	31 41–32	$37,547/yr	6.5x
156	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO	31 41–32	$37,450/yr	8.5x
157	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO	31 43–32	$36,365/yr	9.3x
158	Murray State University Murray, KY	30 42–31	$36,197/yr	9.1x
159	St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, NY	29 42–30	$35,041/yr	3.4x
160	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	29 42–30	$35,023/yr	7.5x
161	Bellarmine University Louisville, KY	28 35–29	$40,785/yr	1.4x
162	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH	28 41–29	$35,220/yr	8.4x
163	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	26 40–27	$34,073/yr	7.2x
164	Fontbonne University Saint Louis, MO	25 36–26	$36,791/yr	2.8x
165	Missouri Baptist University Saint Louis, MO	25 38–26	$35,312/yr	1.7x
166	Ashland University Ashland, OH	24 36–25	$35,709/yr	2.8x
167	University of Mount Union Alliance, OH	23 35–24	$36,444/yr	2.1x
168	Notre Dame College Cleveland, OH	22 35–23	$35,789/yr	2.2x
169	University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon, PR	21 19–22	$9,503/yr	8.2x
170	Defiance College Defiance, OH	20 34–21	$29,443/yr	0.9x

Highest Earning Special Education and Teaching Programs

Schools where Special Education and Teaching graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Pace University	$62,346/yr	47
Utah State University	$61,474/yr	59
University of Hawaii at Manoa	$60,396/yr	60
Florida Atlantic University	$56,009/yr	64
Syracuse University	$55,881/yr	43
Miami Dade College	$53,935/yr	59
Towson University	$53,331/yr	57
Nevada State University	$53,159/yr	57
Western Washington University	$52,912/yr	63
York College of Pennsylvania	$52,199/yr	46

Best ROI for Special Education and Teaching

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Special Education and Teaching.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Miami Dade College	46.5x	$53,935/yr	59
Broward College	45.9x	$49,262/yr	61
Florida Atlantic University	28.2x	$56,009/yr	64
Western Carolina University	22.9x	$41,376/yr	48
Florida International University	22.8x	$36,598/yr	48
Brigham Young University-Idaho	22.2x	$43,252/yr	51
Florida Gulf Coast University	21.5x	$46,866/yr	58
Nevada State University	19.9x	$53,159/yr	57
University of South Florida	19.6x	$50,975/yr	59
University of North Florida	19.5x	$47,734/yr	57

Want to compare two Special Education and Teaching programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Special Education and Teaching offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Special Education and Teaching graduates make in their first year?

The median first-year salary across 170 Special Education and Teaching programs is $44,105. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($9,503) and highest ($62,346) earning programs is significant.

How exposed is Special Education and Teaching to AI disruption?

AI exposure for Special Education and Teaching is rated "High." With 45% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, some career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.

What's the top-ranked school for Special Education and Teaching?

Our data ranks Florida Atlantic University first among 170 Special Education and Teaching programs. Its score of 64/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($56,009/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

What's the ROI on a Special Education and Teaching degree?

On average, Special Education and Teaching graduates earn 10.0x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →