# Special Education and Teaching

> A general program that focuses on the design and provision of teaching and other educational services to children or adults with special learning needs or disabilities, and that may prepare individuals to function as special education teachers in a collaborative or team environment. Includes instruction in diagnosing learning disabilities, developing individual education plans, teaching and supervising special education students, special education counseling, and applicable laws and policies.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/special-education-and-teaching
- CIP code: 13.10 (Education)
- Colleges offering it: 630 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 149 | $41,305 | $49,835 | $20,500 |
| Associate's | 100 | $38,773 | $41,141 | $9,000 |
| Bachelor's | 574 | $46,749 | $51,258 | $23,412 |
| Master's | 630 | $59,166 | $63,058 | $30,000 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 60 | $61,938 | $67,076 | $24,691 |
| Doctoral | 75 | $87,176 | $98,012 | not reported |
| First professional | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 350 | $61,705 | $68,437 | $29,786 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Manhattan College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/manhattan-college-1583) | Riverdale, NY | $83,932 | not reported |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Logan, UT | $74,535 | $17,379 |
| [SUNY Cortland](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suny-cortland-2653) | Cortland, NY | $74,079 | $24,250 |
| [Seton Hall University-New Jersey](https://www.collegesref.com/college/seton-hall-university-new-jersey-2399) | South Orange, NJ | $72,067 | not reported |
| [Molloy College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/molloy-college-1749) | Rockville Centre, NY | $71,781 | $27,000 |
| [The College of New Jersey](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-college-of-new-jersey-2736) | Ewing, NJ | $66,767 | $26,000 |
| [CUNY Medgar Evers College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-medgar-evers-college-744) | Brooklyn, NY | $66,377 | not reported |
| [Saint Joseph's University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-joseph-s-university-2308) | Philadelphia, PA | $64,827 | $26,261 |
| [Western Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-washington-university-3243) | Bellingham, WA | $64,780 | $22,564 |
| [Syracuse University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/syracuse-university-2667) | Syracuse, NY | $62,864 | $24,750 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Adapted Physical Education Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/adapted-physical-education-specialists): $76,580 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-all-other): $76,580 median pay
- [Education Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/education-teachers-postsecondary): $75,350 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Secondary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-secondary-school): $74,260 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Middle School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-middle-school): $66,810 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Elementary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-elementary-school): $65,120 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-kindergarten): $65,120 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Preschool](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-preschool): $64,830 median pay
- [Interpreters and Translators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/interpreters-and-translators): $60,170 median pay
- [Teaching Assistants, Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/teaching-assistants-special-education): $36,780 median pay

## More in Education

- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/teacher-education-and-professional-development-specific-levels-and-methods): 1,160 colleges
- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/teacher-education-and-professional-development-specific-subject-areas): 919 colleges
- [Educational Administration and Supervision](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/educational-administration-and-supervision): 768 colleges
- [Student Counseling and Personnel Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/student-counseling-and-personnel-services): 459 colleges
- [Education, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/education-general): 432 colleges
- [Curriculum and Instruction](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/curriculum-and-instruction): 425 colleges
- [Educational/Instructional Media Design](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/educational-instructional-media-design): 273 colleges
- [Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/teaching-english-or-french-as-a-second-or-foreign-language): 256 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/