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Special education supervisor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a special education supervisor. Special education supervisors usually study business, special education, or educational leadership. 56% of special education supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,250 real special education supervisor resumes to see exactly what special education supervisor education sections show.

The most common colleges for special education supervisors are the University of North Florida and the University of North Florida.

There are also many online special education supervisor courses to help get the education required to be a special education supervisor.

What education do you need to become a special education supervisor?

What degree do you need to be a special education supervisor?

The most common degree for special education supervisors is bachelor's degree, with 56% of special education supervisors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a special education supervisor?

You should major in business to become a special education supervisor. 15% of special education supervisors major in business. Other common majors for a special education supervisor include special education and educational leadership.

Most common colleges for special education supervisors

Special education supervisors often get their degrees at University of North Florida, Michigan State University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for special education supervisors in the US based on their resumes.
Special education supervisor common collegePercentages
University of North Florida8.77%
Michigan State University6.14%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.14%
Wayne State University5.26%
Illinois State University5.26%

Best majors for special education supervisors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business14.8%
2Special Education13.9%
3Educational Leadership10.1%
4Education9.1%
5Psychology7.4%

Best colleges for special education supervisors

The best colleges for special education supervisors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

A special education supervisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for special education supervisors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become special education supervisors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for special education supervisors

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1. Music Education for Teachers

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5. Online Learning Design for Educators

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This specialization is for educators seeking to improve and expand their repertoire of online teaching skills related to the design, development and delivery of effective and engaging online courses and lessons for school age and adult learners.\n\nLearning in the 21st century no longer takes place exclusively between the four walls of a physical classroom. With advances in technology, learners now expect to be offered flexible study modes outside of the traditional face-to-face model. This...

6. Free Trade Agreements and Special Economic Zones

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This is the third course in Tax Academy's Customs Certification. This certification would provide you with relevant skills to apply Customs knowledge in less than two months. In this course, you will build upon your knowledge on functional aspects of some of the popular duty-saving opportunities that businesses use viz. the Free Trade Agreements or FTAs and Special Economic Zones or SEZs. The FTAs are typically used by importers to save on Customs duty and by exporters to gain competitive...

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Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...

9. Critical Issues in Urban Education

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Urban school reform in the United States is characterized by contentious, politicized debate. This course explores a set of critical issues in the education and educational reform space, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. We will dig into these debates, situating them within the larger history of public education and school reform, and considering the viewpoints, the evidence, and translation of issues into educational policy. We will...

10. Climate change education

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This specialization offers tools and resources developed as part of the "Rise up" initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to combat climate change and improve the sustainability of the planet. Through the three courses that make up this specialization, you will learn what we can do individually, as a school, and as a community to lead a more sustainable and healthier life. You'll also delve into the primary ethical and social issues related to climate change, how to use games to...

11. Seth Godin on learning and education

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12. Python for Everybody: Five Domain Specialization

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13. Health, Housing, and Educational Services

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Course 5 discusses policies in four areas: housing, education, healthcare, and immigration, with an optional fifth module in child protection. This course addresses issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy. -First we’ll look at housing policy, with its contrasting supports for homeowners and renters. -Then we’ll interpret the structure that provides education and examine debates about its future. -The third module will differentiate the issues in the U.S. healthcare system and develop...

14. Activity Design with PhET Simulations for STEM Education

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PhET Interactive Simulations ( https://phet.colorado.edu/ ), a project of the University of Colorado Boulder, provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations for use across, primary, secondary, and higher education levels. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. All simulations are open source and free to all students and teachers. In this course, we will review strategies for how to use PhET to create sim-based...

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17. What future for education?

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Through this course you will start to critically examine your own ideas about education, teaching and learning. The critique will be developed through engagement with theories and ideas developed through educational research. You will be encouraged to use these ideas to challenge or support your own ideas about education. Each week we will focus on one key question, using video lectures, key readings and challenges to explore some commonplace notions about education. With the guidance of the...

18. Diversity and Inclusion in Education

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Student diversity is becoming the rule rather than the exception in education systems across the world. Students bring to classroom different characteristics such as ability and disability, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and cultural background, beliefs and religion, and gender characteristics. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations, 2015)...

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20. Aboriginal Worldviews and Education

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Intended for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners, this course will explore indigenous ways of knowing and how they can benefit all students. Topics include historical, social, and political issues in Aboriginal education; terminology; cultural, spiritual and philosophical themes in Aboriginal worldviews; and how Aboriginal worldviews can inform professional programs and practices, including but not limited to the field of education...

Top 10 most affordable universities for special education supervisors

The most affordable schools for special education supervisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for special education supervisors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for special education supervisors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special education supervisors

The hardest universities for special education supervisors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Some great schools for special education supervisors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for special education supervisors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special education supervisors

The easiest schools for special education supervisors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special education supervisor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for special education supervisors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average special education supervisor salary by education level

According to our data, special education supervisors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $85,932 annually. Special education supervisors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $85,152.
Special education supervisor education levelSpecial education supervisor salary
Master's Degree$85,152
Bachelor's Degree$69,577
Doctorate Degree$85,932

Special education supervisor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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