ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Special Education Schools in Arizona

6 Colleges in the United States
3,604 Special Education Degrees Awarded
$50,823 Avg Early-Career Salary

Special Education degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools to find the best for special education students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/special-education/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 6
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 13.10), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Special Education (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Special Education (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Special Education (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Grad Cert - Special Education (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Special Education (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Special Education (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Special Education (I Have a Masters)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 6
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 6 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 6
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 6 offers with relevance >= 1.0

Best Schools for Special Education in Arizona

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall special education education in Arizona.

Top Schools in Special Education

1

Arizona State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. This very large public university is located in the city of Tempe. About 68% of students finish within six years. About 128 special education degrees were awarded at Arizona State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the special education program make about $52,899 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $19,375 to complete this degree. Get the full special education details for Arizona State University

2

Northern Arizona University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best special education schools. Northern Arizona University is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff. About 61% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 147 special education students who graduated with this degree at Northern Arizona University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their special education degree from Northern Arizona University earn around $54,048 in the first couple years of their career. Northern Arizona University graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Get the full special education details for Northern Arizona University

3

Arizona State University Skysong came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best special education schools. Located in the city of Scottsdale, Arizona State University Skysong is a very large public university. Arizona State University Skysong awarded about 1,555 special education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the special education program make about $55,916 in their early career. Arizona State University Skysong graduates carry a median of $23,742 in student loans. More information about a degree in special education from Arizona State University Skysong

4

Students looking for a strong special education program will find one at University Of Arizona, which ranked #4. This very large public university is located in the city of Tucson. About 68% of students finish within six years. About 69 special education degrees were awarded at University Of Arizona in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, special education degree recipients from University Of Arizona generally make around $44,257. Typical student debt for the program is $19,500. More information about a degree in special education from University Of Arizona

5

Pima Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in special education, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Tucson, Pima Community College is a very large public university. Pima Community College awarded about 49 special education degrees in the most recent data year. Special Education graduates of Pima Community College earn a median of $46,052 early in their careers. Pima Community College graduates carry a median of $15,200 in student loans. See the full special education program report for Pima Community College

6

University Of Phoenix Arizona landed the #6 spot for special education this year. Set in the city of Phoenix, University Of Phoenix Arizona is a very large private for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 16%. About 92 special education degrees were awarded at University Of Phoenix Arizona in the most recent year. Graduates of the special education program make about $53,842 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $35,323. See the full special education program report for University Of Phoenix Arizona

7

Grand Canyon University came in at #7 for special education this year. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a very large private for-profit university. About 44% of students finish within six years. About 1,564 special education degrees were awarded at Grand Canyon University in the most recent year. Students who receive their special education degree from Grand Canyon University earn around $48,745 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $47,180 to complete this degree. See the full special education program report for Grand Canyon University

ADBLOCK #173
View All Special Education Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options