U.S. median for this major: $51,258.
College Scorecard field of study; 58 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 45% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,602.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,146. College Scorecard.
BSU Special Education: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Special Education nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses BSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,834 | $32,981 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $9,848 | $41,460 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $14,333 | $60,342 | 3.8 years |
| $75–110k | $19,567 | $82,377 | 5.2 years |
| $110k+ | $23,479 | $98,847 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Special Education graduates 4 years after graduating ($51,267) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,733 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Special Education at Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Special Education graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue University | $55,308 | $26,276 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 2 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $52,008 | $19,500 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 3 | Ball State University | $51,267 | $23,250 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 4 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | $50,212 | — | $19,932 | 69% |
| 5 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $46,769 | $27,000 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 6 | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | $43,577 | $23,252 | $31,872 | 47% |
| 7 | Vincennes Universitymostly 2-year | $43,559 | $21,710 | $11,225 | 39% |
10 more Indiana colleges offer Special Education but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Special Education graduates
Special education teacher
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Interpreters and Translators
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +2.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at BSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About BSU
- Acceptance rate: 86% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 62% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,833
- Full cost breakdown · all 90 majors · overview
Related majors at BSU
BSU Special Education questions
How much do BSU Special Education graduates earn?
Special Education graduates of Ball State University earn a median $51,267 four years after graduating and $47,499 one year after. The U.S. median for Special Education graduates across 175 colleges is $51,258.
How much debt do BSU Special Education graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Special Education graduates of Ball State University is $23,250, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,602.
Is BSU a good school for Special Education in Indiana?
On pay, Special Education graduates of Ball State University earn $51,267 four years out, $1,055 above the median for the same major across 7 Indiana colleges ($50,212) and $9 above the U.S. median ($51,258). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does BSU rank for Special Education in Indiana?
Of 7 Indiana colleges reporting Special Education graduate earnings, Ball State University ranks 3rd. The highest is Purdue University at $55,308.
What jobs do Special Education graduates get?
A common career is special education teacher, with a median wage of $56,900 in the Muncie, IN area and $65,120 nationally. Others include interpreters and translators.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ball State University Special Education: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ball-state-university/majors/special-education (College Scorecard and BLS data).