Special Education and Teaching: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 437 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Special Education and Teaching pays
Career outlook for Special Education and Teaching graduates
The job market for the occupations Special Education and Teaching graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special education teachers, secondary school | 164,200 | -1.6% | $69,590 | Bachelor's degree |
| Special education teachers, middle school | 94,800 | -1.9% | $64,880 | Bachelor's degree |
| Interpreters and translators | 75,300 | +1.7% | $59,440 | Bachelor's degree |
| Education teachers, postsecondary | 74,900 | +2.1% | $72,090 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Special education teachers, all other | 41,000 | +1.1% | $67,430 | Bachelor's degree |
| Special education teachers, preschool | 29,300 | +1.4% | $62,190 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Special Education and Teaching vs similar majors
How Special Education and Teaching stacks up against the closest fields in Education on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Special Education and Teaching Education · this major | Educational Administration and Supervision | Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | International and Comparative Education | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 37 D | 77 B | 70 B | 72 B |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $57,729 | $80,022 | $77,056 | $75,621 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $52,637 | $68,314 | $54,749 | $57,925 |
| ROI vs cost | +55% | +310% | +254% | +255% |
| Typical debt | $27,705 | $36,853 | $50,612 | $39,156 |
| Colleges offering it | 437 | 559 | 6 | 5 |
Special Education and Teaching earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Special Education and Teaching
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | Certificate | $87,254 | — | +2,215% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $91,781 | $24,807 | +2,081% | Strong return |
| 3 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $94,553 | $20,500 | +2,023% | Strong return |
| 4 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL | Associate's | $51,056 | — | +1,959% | Strong return |
| 5 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Certificate | $85,537 | $25,000 | +1,768% | Strong return |
| 6 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Certificate | $85,456 | $30,530 | +1,654% | Strong return |
| 7 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Certificate | $84,866 | $23,914 | +1,574% | Strong return |
| 8 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Certificate | $85,138 | $21,433 | +1,532% | Strong return |
| 9 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY | Certificate | $85,086 | $18,524 | +1,279% | Strong return |
| 10 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA | Certificate | $89,320 | — | +1,186% | Strong return |
| 11 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Certificate | $80,697 | — | +1,171% | Strong return |
| 12 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | Certificate | $80,228 | — | +1,158% | Strong return |
| 13 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Certificate | $88,354 | $25,320 | +1,123% | Strong return |
| 14 | Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX | Associate's | $59,201 | $18,229 | +920% | Strong return |
| 15 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA | Certificate | $82,494 | — | +816% | Strong return |
| 16 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM | Associate's | $65,983 | $16,996 | +775% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Associate's | $63,401 | — | +746% | Strong return |
| 18 | SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY | Associate's | $68,312 | $18,400 | +697% | Strong return |
| 19 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Master's | $74,707 | — | +648% | Strong return |
| 20 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Certificate | $72,912 | — | +647% | Strong return |
| 21 | Rhode Island College Providence, RI | Certificate | $72,802 | — | +633% | Strong return |
| 22 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA | Certificate | $88,685 | — | +611% | Strong return |
| 23 | Florida International University Miami, FL | Associate's | $62,506 | $17,500 | +602% | Strong return |
| 24 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL | Associate's | $56,998 | — | +585% | Strong return |
| 25 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX | Certificate | $61,736 | $15,000 | +575% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.