Best Bachelor’s in Special Education

The best-value bachelor’s in special education program is Florida International University’s (FIU) BS in Exceptional Student Education, which offers 2 special education majors that prepare students for teaching or graduate studies. 

The first, the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement and Reading Endorsement major, prepares graduates to teach children and young adults with high-incidence disabilities, and ends with approval for state certification.  

The Special Education, Educational Foundations and Policy major examines the complex needs of people with disabilities and best-practice methods for teaching them effectively. This major does not lead to teaching certification.  

Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida offers a combined BS/MS program in Special Education that, for value for money, is one of the best programs for special education in the country.  

The program, which consists of 2 years of upper-level undergraduate courses and 1 year of graduate coursework, is well suited for students interested in working with children and young people with various disabilities. Graduates are eligible for a Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate in Exceptional Student Education for grades K-12 with endorsements in ESOL, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Reading.  

The Bachelor of Science in Special Education program at the University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign is one of the best special education bachelor’s in the country.  

The program prepares graduates to become licensed special education teachers, catering to students from kindergarten through age 22. Its curriculum comprises core courses like Curriculum Development, Collaboration with Diverse Families in Special Education, and Facilitating the Transition to Adulthood for Students with Disabilities.  

Applicants to the education sequence should have acquired at least 50 hours’ experience with people with disabilities.  

One of the best-value bachelor’s programs in special education comes from Manhattan College, a private university in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale, New York. Its dual degree program in Childhood/Special Education prepares graduates to teach elementary school-aged students of all abilities, leading to teaching certification for grades 1-6 in all subjects.  

Students choose an academic discipline from the 9 offered, such as Chemistry, Psychology, or Spanish. The curriculum consists of core coursework in the liberal arts, courses in the chosen discipline, and pedagogical training (including fieldwork experiences and student teaching).  

Another one of the best-value special education bachelor’s program is at SUNY Cortland, a large public university and member of the State University of New York system. Its Inclusive Childhood Education program imparts to graduates the skills needed to teach elementary school-aged students, including those with special needs. 

The program offers 6 concentrations, from English Language Arts and Writing to Urban Studies, or the option to take up a second major.  

For hands-on learning, students have plenty of fieldwork experiences to choose from, such as experiential placements in families with disabilities, as well as in rural, urban, and suburban classrooms. They can take also advantage of the unique teaching opportunities offered in New York or Australia. 

Another good-value special education program comes from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, one of the state’s premier public universities. Its Bachelor of Education in Special Education program (SPED BEd) is a comprehensive program that leads to state licensure for teaching in Hawaii public schools.  

Students of the program choose between 2 specializations: Secondary Special Education, Mild/Moderate (6-12), and Severe Disabilities and Autism (PK-12). Both curricula begin with the same core classes before diverging into specialization-specific coursework.  

While the first specialization is well-suited for students who’d like to become special education teachers in middle or high schools, the latter is a good choice for those who’d like to assist students with more severe disabilities, or work in preschool special education.  

Seton Hall University, a private Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, is home to an affordable Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) in Secondary and Special Education program.  

This program is a good fit for future educators interested in serving learners of all kinds, but particularly those in urban settings, through the lens of social justice. Starting their sophomore year, students take advantage of a wide range of clinical experiences, leaving the program with teaching certifications in their chosen discipline and for working with students with disabilities.  

The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s BS in Education with a major in Special Education program is among the best special education undergraduate program in the nation for value for money.  

This program is designed to prepare aspiring special education teachers for work in elementary and secondary schools, offering 6 degree paths to choose from, which are categorized as either Special Education Generalist or Dual Endorsement programs.  

Through benefits like a tiered practicum experience, clinical practice with a co-teacher, and 1-1 support from mentors during fieldwork in local schools, students gradually build practical skills and confidence in the classroom.  

St. Joseph’s University, New York, a private university in Brooklyn, offers a unique dual degree program in Secondary Education (BA/BS)/and Special Education (MA) that allows students to earn a master’s degree in special education in just one year after earning their bachelor’s.  

This 5-year program prepares students for both certificates in New York secondary teaching and areas like Students with Disabilities Generalist (grades 7-12), Students with Disabilities in their major (grades 7-12), and an Annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities (PreK-12, all grades).   

For this program, students choose a major in either Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, or Spanish.  

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a public university in Paradise, about a mile from central Las Vegas, is also home to a good-value special education bachelor’s program. Its BS in Special Education program.  

Through clinical experiences and general/special education-focused coursework, students of the program acquire the skills needed to serve exceptional learners in the classroom – from adapting general curricula to suit diverse needs to monitoring and evaluating progress. 

Indiana University, Bloomington, the flagship campus of Indiana University, offers 2 Bachelor of Secondary Education (B.S.Ed.) programs: a B.S.Ed. in Special Education/Elementary Education (Teaching All Learners) and a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Special Education.  

The B.S.Ed. in Special Education/Elementary Education, or the Teaching All Learners (TAL) program, leads to dual licensure in elementary school and special education. Through a rigorous curriculum and varied field placements in the US and abroad, this program prepares students to address the diverse needs of all learners in grades K-6. 

The B.S.Ed. in Secondary Special Education leads to teaching licensure in: 

• Secondary education in special education (i.e., Exceptional Needs – Mild Intervention) 
• A chosen discipline – either Language Arts/English, Mathematics, or Science  

Beyond the academic curriculum, the program features 2 semesters of field experiences, in which students are paired with an experienced special education teacher. In their final year, students take part in a 10-week student-teaching experience and a 6-week practicum in the chosen discipline. 

Western Washington University, a public university in Bellingham, in northern Washington, offers several affordable Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE) degrees.  

Western Washington's BAE programs include: Early Childhood Special Education P-3 and Early Childhood Education P-3 (Dual Endorsement); Disability and Advocacy; Inclusive Education (Dual Endorsement Elementary & Special Education); Special Education; and Special Education—P-12 Plus Content Endorsement.  

All programs, apart from the Disability and Advocacy program, which typically leads to careers in non-school settings, are teaching endorsements.  

SUNY Buffalo State, a public university in Buffalo, New York and member of the State University of New York, rounds out our top-20 list with its affordable and well-respected special education undergraduate program.  

Buffalo State’s Special Education and Childhood Education B.S.Ed. program is an interdisciplinary teaching preparation program that prepares students to help learners with diverse needs. Upon completing the program, graduates are recommended for certifications as teachers of childhood education (grades 1-6) and for childhood special education (grades 1-6) in New York.   

The BA in Special Education in Exceptional Student Education (K-12) program from the University of North Florida, a large public university in Jackson, Florida, is one of the most affordable in the country. 

The program, which ultimately leads to a Florida Professional Certificate with an ESOL endorsement, prepares future teachers to support students with various disabilities. The curriculum involves a required Cooperative Consultation in Special Education course, concentration courses, and a practicum and internship component.  

Northern Illinois University, a public university in DeKalb, Illinois initially founded as a normal school (i.e., teaching college), is home to a low-cost, quality special education degree program. Its Bachelor of Science in Education program enables graduates to help people with disabilities, from kindergarten to age 21, to succeed in the classroom.  

Students choose one of the following degree emphases: learning behavior specialist I with professional educator licensure; special populations; visual impairments with professional educator licensure; and vision rehabilitation therapy. Graduates are equipped with the skills needed for effective leadership in special education, such as working with educational technologies or adapting general curricula to suit different learners.  

Utah State University, a public university in Logan, Utah, offers a good-value special education BA/BS degree program that prepares future educators to work with children and school-aged students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. 

In this program, students choose between 3 emphases: Birth to Age 5 Special Education, Severe Disabilities, and Mild/Moderate Disabilities. Many students combine a Special Education major with an Elementary Education major.  

The program is also available online for special education teachers or paraprofessionals in Utah schools.