by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study special education and teaching, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 349 programs ranked on how well they support veterans pursuing special education and teaching, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. To help you decide, College Factual analyzed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out our College Combat to build custom comparisons on the factors you care about most.
Explore the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Learn more about these veteran-friendly special education and teaching colleges below:
No school served veteran special education and teaching students better than University of Nebraska-Lincoln this year. The school's overall veterans score is 91.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Delaware is a great choice for veterans pursuing special education and teaching, landing the #2 spot this year. The school's overall veterans score is 91.1 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the special education and teaching program at University of Delaware
A rank of #3 makes Ohio State University-Main Campus one of the top special education and teaching colleges for veteran students. The school's overall veterans score is 89.9 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full special education and teaching report for Ohio State University-Main Campus
A rank of #4 makes University of Georgia one of the top special education and teaching colleges for veteran students. University of Georgia scores 89.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about special education and teaching at University of Georgia
Veteran students seeking a strong special education and teaching program will find one at University of South Florida, which ranked #5. The school's overall veterans score is 89.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full special education and teaching report for University of South Florida
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. It scores 88.5 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. East Carolina University scores 88.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the special education and teaching program at East Carolina University
University of Alabama at Birmingham placed #8 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.7 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas came in at #9 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. University of Nevada-Las Vegas scores 87.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the special education and teaching program at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Florida placed #10 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full special education and teaching report for University of Florida
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Winona State University placed #11 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. It scores 86.3 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about special education and teaching at Winona State University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus came in at #12 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus scores 85.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Western Michigan University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. It scores 85.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the special education and teaching program at Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus placed #14 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the special education and teaching program at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Arkansas came in at #15 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 85.3 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
Read more about special education and teaching at University of Arkansas
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University of Maryland-College Park ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. University of Maryland-College Park scores 85.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Maryland-College Park
University of New Mexico-Main Campus placed #17 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. It scores 85.0 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about special education and teaching at University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Rhode Island College came in at #18 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. It scores 84.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about special education and teaching at Rhode Island College
University of Kentucky placed #19 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 84.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the special education and teaching program at University of Kentucky
Boise State University came in at #20 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. It scores 84.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
Read more about special education and teaching at Boise State University
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University of Central Florida ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. University of Central Florida scores 84.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Central Florida
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee came in at #22 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 84.7 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Connecticut ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. University of Connecticut scores 84.3 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full special education and teaching report for University of Connecticut
Eastern Michigan University placed #24 among the best special education and teaching colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 84.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the special education and teaching program at Eastern Michigan University
Ohio University-Main Campus came in at #25 for veteran special education and teaching students this year. It scores 84.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the special education and teaching program at Ohio University-Main Campus
Not far behind, these special education and teaching colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
Explore the rest of the top 15% below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 52 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 53 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 80.97 |
These special education and teaching colleges also rank near the top for veterans this year:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Towson University | 80.91 |
| 55 | Oakland University | 80.84 |
| 56 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 80.77 |
| 57 | University of Toledo | 80.75 |
| 58 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 80.63 |
| 59 | Ball State University | 80.63 |
| 60 | Mississippi State University | 80.59 |
| 61 | Appalachian State University | 80.49 |
| 62 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 80.39 |
| 63 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 80.34 |
| 64 | California State University-Fullerton | 80.34 |
| 65 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 80.30 |
| 66 | University of Illinois Chicago | 80.19 |
| 67 | Saint Joseph’s University - Philadelphia | 80.18 |
| 68 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 80.12 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | Jacksonville State University | 80.10 |
| 70 | University of Missouri-St Louis | 80.07 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying special education and teaching: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
