{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-12","license":"Free to reuse with attribution: cite \"EducationGuide.com\" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-washington-university/majors/special-education","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":237011,"cip4":"13.10","school_slug":"western-washington-university","major_slug":"special-education"},"school":{"name":"Western Washington University","city":"Bellingham","state":"WA","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-washington-university","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/western-washington-university.json"},"major":{"name":"Special Education","area":"Education","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":52912,"median_earnings_4yr":64780,"median_debt":29284,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.452,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars","debt":"NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":175,"median_earnings_4yr":51258,"median_debt":26602},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"WA","colleges_reporting":3,"median_earnings_4yr":58772,"difference":6008},"us":{"colleges_reporting":175,"median_earnings_4yr":51258,"difference":13522},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.43,"finished_in_4_years":0.4197,"finished_within_6_years":0.6555,"cohort":3071,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":40219,"geography":"WA","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":8261,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":64780,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":12915,"cost_to_finish":57213,"payback_years":2.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.3 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":14147,"cost_to_finish":62671,"payback_years":2.6,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.6 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":17539,"cost_to_finish":77698,"payback_years":3.2,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.2 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":24301,"cost_to_finish":107653,"payback_years":4.4,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.4 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":27984,"cost_to_finish":123969,"payback_years":5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"5.0 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":1,"of":3,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":237011,"name":"Western Washington University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":64780,"median_debt":29284,"net_price_average":21193,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.646,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-washington-university/majors/special-education"},{"ipeds_unitid":235316,"name":"Gonzaga University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":58772,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":35119,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.863,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/gonzaga-university/majors/special-education"},{"ipeds_unitid":235097,"name":"Eastern Washington University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":55244,"median_debt":23000,"net_price_average":13886,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.435,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/eastern-washington-university/majors/special-education"}],"careers":[{"soc":"25-2052","title":"Special education teacher","median_wage_metro":95610,"metro":"Bellingham, WA","median_wage_state":95040,"median_wage_us":65120,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":-0.4,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"27-3091","title":"Interpreters and Translators","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":"Bellingham, WA","median_wage_state":61750,"median_wage_us":60170,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":2,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":21193,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":12915,"30-48k":14147,"48-75k":17539,"75-110k":24301,"110k+":27984},"acceptance_rate":0.933,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.646,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}