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Best Master's in Developmental Delay Special Education Programs by Local Teacher Pay

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the median wage for elementary teachers in each program metro area, from BLS. The top 2 out of 2 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Whitworth University

    Spokane, WAPrivate nonprofit

    • 4Master's/yr
    • $98,800Metro teacher pay
    • Special Education, M.A.T.
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Whitworth University offers a Special Education M.A.T. that leads to a Washington state special education teaching endorsement, delivered on campus with a schedule clearly shaped for working adults. Classes meet only one or two evenings each week rather than during the day, a design that lets employed educators keep their jobs while they study. Applicants must already hold or be concurrently pursuing a teaching certificate, so the program functions as an added specialization for people committed to the classroom. Candidates choose between a Special Education Endorsement spanning P-12 or an Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement covering P-3, matching the credential to their intended grade range. The evening cohort format and certificate prerequisite together characterize a program built for practicing or soon-to-be-licensed teachers expanding into special education. It is a master's degree in developmental delay special education at the master's level, based in Washington.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA, where elementary teachers earn a median $98,800, roughly $98,459 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    American International College

    Springfield, MAPrivate nonprofit

    • 49Master's/yr
    • $79,640Metro teacher pay
    • Moderate Disabilities
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    American International College offers a Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities, a hybrid program approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that leads to the state's Initial License in Moderate Disabilities. Candidates select a grade band, choosing PreK-2, PreK-8, or 5-12, which lets the degree map onto the age group each teacher intends to serve. The pathway to licensure runs through MTEL examinations and a district-based practicum, keeping the preparation tied to real school placements. An optional Sheltered English Immersion endorsement, required for Massachusetts licensure, is built into the offering, and candidates can add a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study alongside the M.Ed. Together these features read as a practical, licensure-focused route for those entering or formalizing careers in special education. This program offers a master's degree in developmental delay special education in Massachusetts.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 49 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Springfield, MA, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,640, roughly $82,906 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site

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