---

2026 Best Value Special Education Schools in Maine

[Special Education](/majors/education/special-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong special education education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for special education students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Special Education Schools in Maine

2026 Best Value Special Education Schools in Maine

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in special education, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Special Education Schools

1

University Of Southern Maine
Portland, ME

$12,090 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,593 Avg Student Debt

$49,958 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in special education, no school beat University Of Southern Maine this year. University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Portland. Students from in state pay about $12,090 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. Typical student debt for special education graduates is $23,593. Soon after graduation, special education degree recipients from University Of Southern Maine generally make around $53,572. Set against $23,593 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Southern Maine admits about 79% of applicants.

2

University Of Maine
Orono, ME

$13,326 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,984 Avg Student Debt

$48,653 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of Maine one of the best values for special education. University Of Maine is a large public school located in the suburb of Orono. In-state tuition and fees average $13,326, while out-of-state students pay about $36,756. Students borrow a median of $25,984 to complete the special education program here. Soon after graduation, special education degree recipients from University Of Maine generally make around $49,410. Set against $25,984 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Maine admits about 97% of applicants.

View All Special Education Rankings >

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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.