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Special needs teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a special needs teacher. Special needs teachers usually study special education, psychology, or education. 61% of special needs teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,844 real special needs teacher resumes to see exactly what special needs teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for special needs teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online special needs teacher courses to help get the education required to be a special needs teacher.
There are certain special needs teacher certifications that you should consider. These special needs teacher certifications include Certified in Special Needs Transportation (CSNT) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a special needs teacher?
What degree do you need to be a special needs teacher?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a special needs teacher?
- Special Education, 15%
- Psychology, 12%
- Education, 12%
- Elementary Education, 12%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for special needs teachers
| Special needs teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.68% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 8.76% |
| Bridgewater State University | 7.30% |
| Ohio State University | 5.11% |
| Wheelock College | 5.11% |
Best majors for special needs teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Special Education | 15.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.2% |
| 3 | Education | 12.0% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 11.7% |
| 5 | Early Childhood Education | 7.1% |
Best colleges for special needs teachers
The best colleges for special needs teachers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A special needs teacher 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 needs teachers. 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 needs teachers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for special needs teachers
Advertising disclosure
1. Music Education for Teachers
In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...
2. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. These programs vary widely but most share a concern for five individual, student competencies: self awareness; self-management; social awareness; relationship skills; and finally responsible decision making. It is important for teachers and parents to know about and understand these programs. While lots of SEL programs emphasize K-12 student social and emotional learning, only a very few programs...
3. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...
4. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals
Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...
5. Activity Design with PhET Simulations for STEM Education
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...
6. Strategies for Planned Social Change with Jagdish Sheth
Many social issues are within the realm of public policy and civil organizations (NGOS), but corporations can also enable and champion social change. The business of business is more than business. As more and more companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR), they need to understand the ultimate users’ perceptions and motivations. This course, taught by Professor Jagdish Sheth, 2020 Padma Bhushan Award winner for Literature and Education, includes examples such as environmental...
7. Learn 2D Game Special Effect Animation in Photoshop
The best Game special effects animation course on the market...
8. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom
Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...
9. Online Learning Design for Educators
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...
10. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher
Many Deaf children around the world still leave school functionally illiterate. In some cases, there is no allowance made for the education of Deaf children at all. This 4-week course provides you with invaluable knowledge and skills about teaching Deaf children. You will learn about the importance of Deaf culture and community, the need for a language-rich environment for the Deaf child from as young as possible, and that having access to sign language can help Deaf children academically,...
11. Mastering Planning Vol 1: Hourly and Daily Planning
Learn the system for planning on an hourly and daily scale and the PAMe La (Plan, Act, Measure, Learn) Planning System...
12. Special Effects (fx) Makeup Level 1
Special Effects (fx) Makeup Level 1...
13. Virtual Teacher Final Project
The Final Project will be a hands-on, comprehensive project that practitioners of virtual education can implement in their profession. For this final project, learners will draft a design plan for an online learning module utilizing materials learned from the virtual teacher series. Learners will choose the subject matter, method of delivery, tools, instructional strategies, and assessments, with the goal of creating a module of online or blended instruction that meets the needs of their...
14. Climate change education
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...
15. Seth Godin on learning and education
Build the future of community, culture and possibility...
16. Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations
Learn how to engage your students and enhance learning in math and science with free virtual labs and simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder's PhET Interactive Simulations project (https://phet.colorado.edu/en). In this specialization, you will explore active learning strategies that you can incorporate into your own classroom, either online or in person. You will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning experience by implementing a simulation-based lesson plan in...
17. ELL Success in the Content Classroom: Teacher Toolbox Series
Plan lessons, activities and assessment with the ELL in mind, and create an engaging and welcoming environment for the ELL and their families.\n\nThis Specialization covers lesson planning and assessing with the ELL in mind as well as engaging the ELL student and their families in the school and community. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills you learned by creating an annotated lesson plan and assessment with appropriate modifications for the ELL students. You will also...
18. Social Entrepreneurship
In this specialization you will learn how to create societal impact through Social Entrepreneurship. Social Entrepreneurship describes the discovery and sustainable exploitation of opportunities to create social change. We will introduce you to examples of Social Entrepreneurship and guide you through the process of establishing a venture to address a social or environment problem. You will form of team and study a problematic issue to learn more about the source of the problem. We will equip...
19. Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom
Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...
20. ICT in Primary Education: Transforming children's learning across the curriculum
Why and how are teachers integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into primary education? In this course we analyse examples from schools in different parts of the world, and bring professional teachers, headteachers and policymakers together to share their best ideas and inspiring stories. The materials in the course are based on studies carried out for the UNESCO Institute of IT in Education, Moscow. Learning Outcomes: to be aware of the range of reasons for using ICT to...
Top 10 most affordable universities for special needs teachers
The most affordable schools for special needs teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for special needs teachers 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 needs teachers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special needs teachers
The hardest universities for special needs teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for special needs teachers 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 needs teachers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special needs teachers
The easiest schools for special needs teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special needs teacher 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 needs teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
Average special needs teacher salary by education level
| Special needs teacher education level | Special needs teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,613 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,794 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,049 |
Special needs teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025