by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism covers Education/teaching Of Individuals With Autism. A Program That Focuses On The Design Of Educational Services For Children Or Adults With Autism, And That Prepares Individuals To Teach Such Students. Includes Instruction In Identifying Students With Autism, Developing Individual Education Plans, Teaching And Supervising Autistic Students, Counseling, And Applicable Laws And Policies. Read on to learn the key facts every education/teaching of individuals with autism student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering education/teaching of individuals with autism programs.
In the U.S., education/teaching of individuals with autism draws strong interest, with 1,002 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism Schools ranking analyzes these 73 schools to determine the best overall colleges for education/teaching of individuals with autism students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of education/teaching of individuals with autism programs later in this article.
Programs in Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations education/teaching of individuals with autism graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a education/teaching of individuals with autism program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a education/teaching of individuals with autism major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several education/teaching of individuals with autism degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 1 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 32 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 968 |
People currently working in careers related to education/teaching of individuals with autism tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 35.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 27.7% |
| Master’s degree | 21.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 13.0% |
| First professional degree | 1.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.4% |
| Some college courses | 0.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in education/teaching of individuals with autism careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in education/teaching of individuals with autism opens doors to numerous career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to education/teaching of individuals with autism.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to education/teaching of individuals with autism.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | 1,501,521 | 9.2% |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,441,246 | 2.4% |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten | 1,257,499 | 14.0% |
| Adapted Physical Education Specialists | 1,064,121 | 10.9% |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | 913,965 | 4.8% |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 636,033 | 6.1% |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 570,170 | 8.8% |
| Special Education Teachers, Elementary School | 199,198 | -0.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of education/teaching of individuals with autism graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $54,981 |
| 4 years | $54,220 |
| 5 years | $59,983 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for education/teaching of individuals with autism graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers education/teaching of individuals with autism grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,329 |
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | $86,208 |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | $80,694 |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | $79,680 |
| Adapted Physical Education Specialists | $77,976 |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten | $73,597 |
| Special Education Teachers, Elementary School | $50,045 |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool | $35,173 |
With 73 different education/teaching of individuals with autism programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased education/teaching of individuals with autism school rankings to help you.
Those considering education/teaching of individuals with autism, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
