Best Bachelor's in Autism Special Education Programs in 2026
All 4 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on graduation rate, affordability, and more. CIP 13.1013.
- In-state tuition typically runs from $4,968 to $30,840 a year, with a median near $18,341.
- 1 of 4 ranked programs sit at public universities, and 1 offer an online or hybrid option.
- We rank on graduation rate first, then selectivity and affordability, all from federal IPEDS data.
- 1
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
83score- 41%Grad rate
- $4,968/yrTuition (in or out of state)
- 34%Admit rate
- 2,436Undergrads
- 4Grads/yr
- Bachillerato en Artes en Educacion Especial en Autismo (BA in Special Education in Autism)
About the programThis 133 credit Bachelor of Arts in Special Education with an autism concentration is offered by Inter American University, and the general catalog states the Ponce campus is authorized to offer it ("El Recinto de Ponce esta autorizado para ofrecer este Programa"). The curriculum divides into general education (54 credits), core requirements (37), special education requirements (21), an autism concentration (18), and electives (3). Candidates complete field experiences in educational settings and clinical experiences. A bachelor's-level path in autism special education, it builds toward a career among special education teachers in Puerto Rico.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageIts rank is built from three numbers: graduation rate, admission rate, and in-state tuition, in that order of weight. Its strongest card is completion: a 41% graduation rate lands it in the top 33% of programs nationwide, and since finishing counts for the most, that does much of the work. A 34% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. Cost only helps its case: at $4,968 in state, tuition runs below the national median, so students are not paying a premium for those results. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
- 2
Eastern Michigan University
78score- 46%Grad rate
- $15,920/yrTuition (in or out of state)
- 80%Admit rate
- 10,470Undergrads
- 11Grads/yr
- 1045SAT mid
- Special Education, B.S., Autism Spectrum Disorders concentration
- On-campus
About the programEastern Michigan's special education major offers four concentrations, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, and leads to a Michigan K-12 special education endorsement. A 2023 restructuring cut the major from 51-59 to 30-36 credit hours. Students earning the K-12 endorsement must double major in Teaching and Learning with either Elementary or Secondary certification, so the special education work is completed alongside a general teaching certification major. All candidates earn the K-12 special education endorsement regardless of the elementary or secondary pairing. Graduates of this autism special education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as special education teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageIts place on the list comes down to outcomes, selectivity, and price, weighted in that order. Start with the outcome that matters most, 46% of students graduate, top 1% among programs nationwide, which is the biggest reason it sits where it does. A 80% admission rate makes it moderately selective, neither a gatekeeper nor open enrollment. Cost only helps its case: at $15,920 in state, tuition runs below the national median, so students are not paying a premium for those results. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
- 3
Mary Baldwin University
22score- 39%Grad rate
- $20,762/yrTuition (in or out of state)
- 1,124Undergrads
- 15Grads/yr
- Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies
- Online
About the programMary Baldwin University offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies, a non-licensure degree that prepares graduates to sit for the BCaBA exam rather than earn a teaching license. The major requires 47.5 semester hours, and the ASD 363 practicum requires 70 direct in-person fieldwork hours. Coursework is verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Students can pursue a combined BA/MS pathway completing both degrees in five years, and an additional course sequence earns a Comprehensive Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder endorsed by the Virginia Autism Council. Board-certification candidates must earn a C or higher in required courses. This bachelor's-level autism special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in Virginia.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageWe rank on the things that actually shape a teaching degree: whether students finish, how hard it is to get in, and the price of admission. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 39% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. The one drag is price, $20,762 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. That combination is what puts it in the top handful here.
- 4
Davis & Elkins College
0score- 39%Grad rate
- $30,840/yrTuition (in or out of state)
- 94%Admit rate
- 661Undergrads
- 2Grads/yr
- Special Education - Multicategorical (BD, MI, SLD), 5-Adult, K-6, Including Autism
About the programDavis & Elkins College's Bachelor of Arts in Special Education is built for candidates who want to teach students with a range of learning needs, and its Multicategorical track covers behavior disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, and specific learning disabilities, including autism. The endorsement spans the K-6 and 5-Adult grade bands, so graduates are prepared to work with students at very different stages. Run through the college's Teacher Education Department, the program leads directly to teacher licensure and holds full CAEP accreditation, a mark that its preparation meets national standards. Students who prefer can follow a parallel Multicategorical track that excludes autism. The specialty sits among the college's other accredited education tracks, including elementary, mathematics, and physical education, giving candidates a clear sense of where their focus fits. This bachelor's-level autism special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in West Virginia.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageWhere it lands is a story about completion first, then selectivity, then cost. The sticking point is completion, the factor we weigh most heavily: at 39% the graduation rate trails the national median, which caps how high it can climb. Admission is close to open access at 94%, so this is a program that bets on teaching students well rather than screening them out. The one drag is price, $30,840 in state, above the national median, so it earns its rank on outcomes rather than affordability. Strong on the measures that matter most, it earns a place near the top.
How we rank
Each program is scored 0 to 100 against the other programs in its specialty: graduation rate (50%), selectivity by admission rate (30%), and affordability by in-state tuition (20%). Scores are percentile-based within the specialty, so they compare like with like. A program missing a field gets the neutral median for it, so it is neither rewarded nor punished. Earnings are intentionally excluded: federal per-school earnings are not yet published for education programs, and the field-level salary figure is identical for every school, so ranking on it would be meaningless. To keep the overall list from being dominated by a single state's public-university system, it shows at most 2 programs per state; the value, affordability, graduation-rate, and selectivity pages rank every program without that limit.
- Graduation rate: 50%
- Selectivity (admission rate): 30%
- Affordability (in-state tuition): 20%
What careers can you get with a bachelor's in Autism Special Education?
Graduates most often go on to work as special education teachers. Nationally, the median wage for that occupation is $76,580, with most earning between $48,440 and $120,080, and roughly 33,930 people employed across the United States, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 25-2059), and BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Wages are national and not school-specific.
Special Education Teachers Salary by State in 2026
Median annual wage for special education teachers, by state. Highest is California at $103,050, lowest is West Virginia at $39,920.
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $103,050 |
| New Mexico | $86,520 |
| Delaware | $85,040 |
| Oregon | $82,240 |
| Rhode Island | $80,080 |
| Colorado | $79,290 |
| Michigan | $78,540 |
| Massachusetts | $78,440 |
| Virginia | $77,280 |
| Washington | $76,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,530 |
| Georgia | $76,130 |
| Maryland | $76,100 |
| District of Columbia | $71,130 |
| New Jersey | $71,110 |
| Iowa | $71,050 |
| Minnesota | $69,470 |
| Florida | $68,690 |
| Utah | $67,860 |
| Wisconsin | $66,910 |
| New Hampshire | $66,670 |
| New York | $65,970 |
| Texas | $65,710 |
| North Carolina | $65,170 |
| Illinois | $64,850 |
| Nevada | $64,410 |
| Tennessee | $63,300 |
| Kentucky | $63,140 |
| Arkansas | $61,690 |
| North Dakota | $61,500 |
| Connecticut | $61,480 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 |
| Indiana | $60,920 |
| Nebraska | $59,760 |
| Arizona | $59,500 |
| Maine | $56,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,920 |
| Ohio | $51,230 |
| Missouri | $49,610 |
| Alabama | $49,520 |
| Vermont | $46,980 |
| Mississippi | $46,700 |
| West Virginia | $39,920 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
How much a bachelor's in Autism Special Education program costs
Published in-state tuition across the 4 ranked bachelor's programs typically runs from $4,968 to $30,840 a year, with a median near $18,341. Most of that spread is public versus private: public universities charge state residents the least, while private colleges set a single sticker price that applies to everyone. 1 of the 4 programs here are public, which is usually where the lowest in-state numbers come from.
Sticker price is rarely what a student pays. Grants and scholarships lower the net cost, and future teachers have aid written specifically for them: the federal TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year to students who agree to teach a high-need subject in a low-income school, and many states add service scholarships and loan-forgiveness programs for people who commit to the classroom. Two costs to watch are out-of-state tuition, which at public schools often runs two to three times the resident rate, and mandatory fees and living expenses, which the tuition figure leaves out entirely.
What none of this changes is the paycheck at the end. The median wage for special education teachers is $76,580 regardless of where the degree was earned, so two graduates can reach the same salary having paid very different tuition to get there. That is exactly why affordability, essentially graduation rate per tuition dollar, is one of the factors we weight rather than an afterthought.
Sources: tuition and program data from IPEDS; the TEACH Grant from Federal Student Aid; wages from BLS OEWS.
Ways to earn your bachelor's in Autism Special Education
A traditional four-year, on-campus bachelor's is the most common route into teaching, and for good reason: the degree leans on in-person field placements that build to a full term of student teaching. That said, 1 of the 4 ranked programs advertise an online or hybrid option, which can suit paraprofessionals and career-changers already working in schools; the clinical hours still take place in a real classroom near you.
You do not have to start at a four-year school. Many students spend their first two years at a community college, earn an associate's, and transfer in, which trims the cost of the early coursework, and statewide articulation agreements often guarantee the credits apply. If you already hold a bachelor's in another field, you can usually skip a second degree entirely and enter through an alternative-certification program or a master's-with-licensure route built for career-changers.
Whatever the format, the non-negotiable is supervised clinical practice. Every licensure-track program includes a student-teaching placement, and some now pair it with a paid, year-long residency alongside a mentor teacher, an increasingly common model that eases the unpaid-semester crunch traditional student teaching can create.
Sources: online and program counts from IPEDS; alternative-certification pathways per the US Department of Education.
Data sources for our Bachelor's in Autism Special Education ranking
- Program counts, tuition, graduation and admission rates: IPEDS, US Department of Education.
- Wages and employment outlook: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Program descriptions: each school's official catalog and program pages.