Federal data
Highest earning special education programs in the United States
U.S. special education programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah State University | Logan | Public, 4-year | $61,474 | 167 |
| 2 | Miami Dade College | Miami | Public, 4-year | $53,935 | 53 |
| 3 | Towson University | Towson | Public, 4-year | $53,331 | 138 |
| 4 | Nevada State University | Henderson | Public, 4-year | $53,159 | 30 |
| 5 | Western Washington University | Bellingham | Public, 4-year | $52,912 | 95 |
| 6 | York College of Pennsylvania | York | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $52,199 | 34 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | Public, 4-year | $51,922 | 32 |
| 8 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville | Public, 4-year | $51,664 | 99 |
| 9 | Lebanon Valley College | Annville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $51,415 | 41 |
| 10 | Indiana University-Bloomington | Bloomington | Public, 4-year | $51,306 | 39 |
| 11 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown | Public, 4-year | $50,645 | 108 |
| 12 | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven | Public, 4-year | $50,641 | 35 |
| 13 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg | Public, 4-year | $50,327 | 56 |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison | Public, 4-year | $50,174 | 34 |
| 15 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public, 4-year | $50,159 | 112 |
| 16 | Arizona State University | Tempe | Public, 4-year | $49,882 | 111 |
| 17 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg | Public, 4-year | $49,835 | 40 |
| 18 | Providence College | Providence | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $49,664 | 36 |
| 19 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale | Public, 4-year | $49,494 | 49 |
| 20 | CUNY Medgar Evers College | Brooklyn | Public, 4-year | $49,413 | 39 |
| 21 | Kean University | Union | Public, 4-year | $48,628 | 65 |
| 22 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $48,358 | 192 |
| 23 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | Public, 4-year | $47,610 | 148 |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | Whitewater | Public, 4-year | $47,592 | 63 |
| 25 | Ball State University | Muncie | Public, 4-year | $47,499 | 66 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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