Special Education and Teaching: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Special Education and Teaching graduates earn a median $50,499 four years after finishing — $2,139/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 31.6 years. Federal data pools 494 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 8,935 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Special Education and Teaching ranks #164 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 19% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan University | NY | $83,932 |
| 2 | Utah State University | UT | $74,535 |
| 3 | State University of New York at Cortland | NY | $74,079 |
| 4 | Seton Hall University | NJ | $72,067 |
| 5 | Molloy University | NY | $71,781 |
| 6 | The College of New Jersey | NJ | $66,767 |
| 7 | CUNY Medgar Evers College | NY | $66,377 |
| 8 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | PA | $64,827 |
| 9 | Western Washington University | WA | $64,780 |
| 10 | Nevada State University | NV | $64,201 |
| 11 | La Salle University | PA | $63,434 |
| 12 | Syracuse University | NY | $62,864 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.