2026 Best Value General Special Education Schools in Ohio
[General Special Education](/majors/education/special-education/general-special-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general special education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 39 schools to find the best return on investment for general special education students.
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2026 Best Value General Special Education Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general special education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Special Education Schools
For return on investment in general special education, no school beat College Of Mount St Joseph this year. College Of Mount St Joseph is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $38,150. Students borrow a median of $28,273 to complete the general special education program here. General Special Education graduates of College Of Mount St Joseph earn a median of $69,964 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. College Of Mount St Joseph admits about 59% of applicants.
University Of Akron Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general special education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the general special education program here. Early-career general special education graduates make about $40,389. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Cleveland State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general special education, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,982, compared with $18,502 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,336 to complete the general special education program here. Early-career general special education graduates make about $50,916. Set against $26,336 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Toledo one of the best values for general special education. Set in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,157 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,517. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $22,073 in student loans. Early-career general special education graduates make about $47,722. That is a strong return on a $22,073 median debt. University Of Toledo admits about 92% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general special education will find it at Youngstown State University, which ranked #5. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown. Students from in state pay about $9,926 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,286. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $29,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from Youngstown State University generally make around $40,042. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio State University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for general special education value this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,244 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,022 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,899. General Special Education graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $45,213 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Central State University earned the #7 position for value in general special education this year. Central State University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Wilberforce. Students from in state pay about $8,058 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,058. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $31,318 in student loans. General Special Education graduates of Central State University earn a median of $27,388 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Kent State University At Kent earned the #8 position for value in general special education this year. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $43,217. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
Muskingum University earned the #9 position for value in general special education this year. Set in the rural area of New Concord, Muskingum University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $31,701. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,932. General Special Education graduates of Muskingum University earn a median of $39,918 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Muskingum University admits about 82% of applicants.
Ohio University Main Campus landed the #10 spot for general special education value this year. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. In-state tuition and fees average $14,158, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,950. Early-career general special education graduates make about $43,944. That is a strong return on a $26,950 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value general special education schools. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,912 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $26,313 in student loans. Early-career general special education graduates make about $47,648. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Lourdes College landed the #12 spot for general special education value this year. Located in the suburb of Sylvania, Lourdes College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $28,370 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,668 to complete the general special education program here. General Special Education graduates of Lourdes College earn a median of $75,250 early in their careers. Set against $29,668 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University came in at #13 for value in general special education this year. Set in the town of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,193. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,602. Early-career general special education graduates make about $46,853. That is a strong return on a $26,602 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Ashland University landed the #14 spot for general special education value this year. Set in the town of Ashland, Ashland University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,210. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $27,000. General Special Education graduates of Ashland University earn a median of $48,852 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus came in at #15 for value in general special education this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $24,742. Early-career general special education graduates make about $51,104. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Miami University Oxford earned the #16 position for value in general special education this year. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,519 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $38,965. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $27,000. General Special Education graduates of Miami University Oxford earn a median of $46,559 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Miami University Oxford admits about 75% of applicants.
University Of Rio Grande placed #17 among the best values for general special education. Located in the rural area of Rio Grande, University Of Rio Grande is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $20,560 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $27,044. General Special Education graduates of University Of Rio Grande earn a median of $46,611 early in their careers. Set against $27,044 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Dayton came in at #18 for value in general special education this year. Set in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,140. General Special Education graduates carry a median of $20,612 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from University Of Dayton generally make around $45,260. That is a strong return on a $20,612 median debt. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Xavier University landed the #19 spot for general special education value this year. Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati. Students from in state pay about $49,425 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general special education graduates is $26,614. Soon after graduation, general special education degree recipients from Xavier University generally make around $52,643. Set against $26,614 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
More General Special Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 39 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
