Master's in Special Education in New York

A Birth-Grade 2 program and a 7-12 generalist program can both print "Special Education" on the diploma and lead to different classrooms. New York registers each pathway separately, so grade band and certificate level (Initial or Professional) matter more than the degree title.

Cost adds a second filter. CUNY and SUNY campuses keep graduate tuition well below the private colleges, but a cheap seat is worthless if the program does not register for the certificate you need.

Most applicants are weighing two questions at once: whether the pathway matches the license they want, and whether the schedule survives a full teaching day.

10 Special Education Master's Programs Worth Your Shortlist in New York

New York's special education master's options split cleanly in two: CUNY and SUNY campuses where in-state tuition and fees stay under $9,000, and private colleges charging roughly $22,000 to $40,000 for smaller cohorts and weekend or hybrid schedules. The schools offering this program have institution-wide graduation rates ranging from 34% to 72%, and several report median earnings for program graduates one year after finishing in the $53,000 to $78,000 range. Formats run from fully online to fully campus-based, and most routes lead to NYSED Students with Disabilities certification.

Rank	School	Location	Net price	Best for
#1	Dominican University New York	Orangeburg, NY	~$26,000/yr (est.)	Certified teachers adding a second license
A suburban Rockland County campus where special education study runs on a weekend quarter schedule built around working teachers. Certified teachers add a Students with Disabilities license, while career changers can pair adolescent certification with special education in a 45-credit dual program. Listed tuition and fees: $34,220. M.S.Ed. in Students with Disabilities, Master's — Hybrid Weekend quarter schedule built for working teachers 36 to 39 credits, often completed part time Dual certification paired with an existing teaching license Adds an annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities Requires prior initial certification for admission Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Adolescence Education and Students with Disabilities (Dual Certification), Master's — Hybrid 45 total credit hours Designed for career changers with no teaching certification Leads to initial certification in both adolescence and special education Requires an undergraduate degree in the content area Covers self-contained and inclusive special education settings Visit Website
#2	Molloy University	Rockville Centre, NY	~$28,000/yr (est.)	Career changers weighing multiple certification tracks
A Long Island campus with the widest menu on this list: six concentration options, hybrid dual-certification tracks, and a fully online Professional certification route run through NYSED Teach Online. Graduates earned a median $53,653 one year after finishing, and 60 completed the program in the most recent federal count. Listed tuition and fees: $39,790. M.S. in Students with Disabilities, Master's — Online or On-Campus Six concentration options across childhood and adolescent levels Three phases of supervised fieldwork plus practicums Certification covers prekindergarten through grade 12 Scholarships through the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grant Transfer students accepted Visit Website M.S. in Teaching Students with Disabilities, All Grades (PreK-12), Professional Certification, Master's — Online Fully online through the NYSED Teach Online system For teachers who already hold initial certification Leads to Professional certification in Students with Disabilities, PreK-12 Practicum and research components alongside coursework Visit Website M.S. in Adolescent Education Biology (7-12) and Teaching Students with Disabilities (PreK-12), Dual Initial Certification, Master's — Hybrid Hybrid format Dual initial certification in biology and special education Project-based group work and community outreach opportunities Free SEL/ELA enrichment offered to partnership schools Visit Website
#3	St. Francis College	Brooklyn, NY	~$16,000/yr (est.)	Brooklyn residents wanting an in-person master's
A Brooklyn campus and one of the more affordable private options here, built on a compact 36-credit M.S.Ed. in Special Education for all grades. Coursework stresses culturally responsive teaching and IEP development, with fieldwork and a supervised practicum. Listed tuition and fees: $28,775. M.S.Ed. in Special Education (All Grades), Master's — On-Campus 36 total credits 3.0 GPA minimum plus prerequisite liberal arts coursework Generally 6 credits each in English, history, science, and math Fieldwork and a supervised practicum included Prepares for inclusion, resource room, and learning specialist roles Emphasizes culturally responsive teaching and NYS standards Visit Website
#4	CUNY City College	New York, NY	~$11,000/yr (est.)
A Harlem campus whose special education master's leans on an inclusion model designed for urban schools, with on-campus, hybrid, and online delivery. Childhood (1-6) and adolescent (7-12) routes span 31 to 43 credits depending on prior coursework. Median earnings one year after finishing were $76,836, and CUNY is currently covering graduate application fees for special education applicants systemwide. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $7,340. M.S.Ed. in Teacher of Students with Disabilities in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Master's — Hybrid 31 to 43 credits depending on prior coursework On-campus, hybrid, or online delivery Inclusion model tailored to urban schools Leads to initial or professional certification Research-based instructional strategies Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Teacher of Students with Disabilities in Adolescent Education (Grades 7-12), Master's — Online or On-Campus Hybrid and online course formats Aligned to New York State learning standards Prepares candidates for New York City schools Emphasizes inclusion in urban classrooms Visit Website
#5	Touro University	New York, NY	~$15,000/yr (est.)
The largest producer of special education master's degrees in this group, with 705 completions and asynchronous online, live Zoom, and Brooklyn campus options. The M.S. in Education and Special Education spans birth to grade 2, grades 1-6, and grades 7-12, plus a Teaching Residents route placed in NYC public schools. Median earnings one year after finishing were $66,800. Listed tuition and fees: $22,450. M.S. in Education and Special Education, Early Childhood and Special Education (Birth-2), Master's — Hybrid Asynchronous online, live Zoom, or Brooklyn campus classes Traditional track or Teaching Residents (TUTR) residency in NYC public schools Leads to NYS certification in general and special education, birth to grade 2 Evidence-based strategies for culturally diverse learners and families Visit Website M.S. in Education and Special Education, Childhood and Special Education (1-6), Master's — Hybrid Prepares for New York State teacher certification, grades 1-6 Synchronous and asynchronous class options Faculty advisement and school-based supervision Visit Website M.S. in Education and Special Education, Teaching Students with Disabilities (7-12), Master's — Hybrid Research-backed strategies with Common Core integration Focus on critical thinking and creativity Two formats: traditional and residency Teaching in diverse NYC cultural contexts Visit Website
#6	SUNY College at Potsdam	Potsdam, NY	$13,000 – $25,000/yr (est.)
A fully online, CAEP-accredited M.S.Ed. run as a cohort for working teachers, with two semesters of fieldwork under mentor teachers that often lead to job offers. Certification paths cover early childhood, childhood, or adolescent students with disabilities. Median earnings five years after finishing were $59,529. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $8,768. M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Master's — Online 100% online delivery CAEP accredited and recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children Two semesters of hands-on fieldwork with mentor teachers Cohort model with small class sizes Full-time and part-time schedules Certification in early childhood, childhood, or adolescent special education Visit Website
#7	CUNY Brooklyn College	Brooklyn, NY	$10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.)
A Brooklyn campus with three separate Students with Disabilities routes (childhood, birth to grade 2, and 7-12 generalist), 33 to 51 credits depending on prior certification, and a bilingual extension. Internships run in New York City schools and a capstone research project closes the degree. Median earnings one year after finishing were $77,678. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $7,452. M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Teacher of Students with Disabilities in Childhood Education (All Grades), Master's — On-Campus Rolling admissions 33 to 51 credits depending on prior teaching certification Bilingual extension tracks available Internships in New York City public schools 3.0 GPA minimum plus a group interview Rolling admissions with a fall start Capstone research project with faculty mentoring Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Teacher of Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Master's — On-Campus Rolling admissions Fall start with rolling admissions New York State certification preparation for birth to grade 2 Research project required Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Teacher of Students with Disabilities Generalist (7-12), Master's — On-Campus Part of the NYC Teaching Fellows pathway Generalist route for grades 7 through 12 Visit Website
#8	College of Staten Island CUNY	Staten Island, NY	$10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.)
Staten Island's CUNY campus runs a Sequence Two childhood route for career changers who hold no certification, plus a professional certification track for teachers who already have one. Priority deadlines are November 25 for spring and April 25 for fall. Median earnings one year after finishing were $75,212. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $7,490. M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Childhood (Sequence Two, Initial Certification), Master's — On-Campus Sequence Two route for college graduates without certification Leads to initial certification in teaching students with disabilities Priority deadlines: November 25 for spring, April 25 for fall Requires a liberal arts and sciences bachelor's degree Includes 6 credits each in English, history, math, and lab science Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Childhood (Professional Certification), Master's — On-Campus Requires initial certification in childhood education Prepares for professional certification in special education Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Special Education, Generalist, All Grades, Master's — On-Campus Generalist all-grades route through the Department of Educational Studies Visit Website
#9	CUNY Lehman College	Bronx, NY	~$12,000/yr (est.)
A Bronx campus with dual-certification childhood and early childhood routes at 48 credits each, plus a 36-credit 7-12 generalist option open to applicants with no education background. Extensions in bilingual education, severe disabilities, and gifted education are available. Median earnings one year after finishing were $75,783. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $7,410. M.S.Ed. in Childhood Special Education (Dual Certification), Master's — On-Campus 48 total credits across 16 courses Dual certification in childhood education and special education Based on the Lehman Urban Transformative Education framework Aligned with Council for Exceptional Children standards Bilingual extension, severe disabilities annotation, gifted extension available Includes student teaching in urban settings Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education (Dual Certification), Master's — On-Campus $470 per credit Fall start only Eligible for an internship certificate after 50% of coursework Requires content specialty tests and a teacher performance portfolio Culminating master's project Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist, Master's — On-Campus 36 total credits No education background required for admission Prepares for edTPA and NYS certification Literacy, math, and content-area coursework Admission interview required Visit Website
#10	CUNY Queens College	Queens, NY	~$12,000/yr (est.)
A Queens campus focused on the youngest learners, with birth to grade 2 and grades 1-6 routes plus an integrated bilingual early childhood track that ends in two certifications. No entrance exam is required, and classes run late afternoon and evening. Median earnings one year after finishing were $74,496. Listed in-state tuition and fees: $7,538. M.S.Ed. in Teacher of Special Education, Birth-Grade 2, Master's — Hybrid 30 total credits in a two-year sequence No entrance exam required; test optional Capstone required Late afternoon and evening classes Fieldwork placements included Advanced certificate available as a stepping stone Hybrid and campus formats Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Teacher of Special Education, Grades 1-6, Master's — Hybrid Hybrid or campus-based formats Evening classes for working teachers Leads to New York State certification in special education, grades 1-6 Visit Website M.S.Ed. in Integrated Bilingual Early Childhood Special Education, Master's — Hybrid 43 total credit hours Leads to two NYS certifications: early childhood special education and bilingual education Prepares candidates to work with English language learners who have disabilities Integrates special education and bilingual education content Visit Website

The Scoring Logic Behind This Order

A career-changer in Queens and a working teacher in Rochester are asking the same question: what does this degree cost out of pocket, and what does it return in salary, certification, and time? That trade-off drives the order below.

Four inputs carry the most weight:

• Completions: how many students actually finish the special education program, drawn from federal program-completion figures.
• Graduate tuition: what the institution charges before any aid is applied.
• Earnings and debt: program-level median earnings and typical borrowing for graduates.
• Delivery format: online, hybrid, or in person, since fieldwork requirements decide whether a full-time teacher can realistically enroll.

Graduation rate and net price appear as well, but only as context. Both are reported at the institution level rather than the program level, so they describe the university a program sits inside, not the cohort you would join.

Certification details come from Albany, not from the cost and earnings figures. Whether a track leads to Students with Disabilities Initial or Professional certification, and which grade bands it covers, is checked against NYSED rules and each program's own page. A program can look affordable and still ask for a semester of daytime fieldwork.

Initial Certification or Advanced Degree: Matching Your Starting Point to NYSED Rules

New York's registered Students with Disabilities master's programs must include 60 semester hours of graduate study, and prior graduate coursework can count toward that total.¹ That requirement splits applicants into two groups, because where you start determines which certificate you are chasing.

If you are not yet certified

Career changers pursue the Initial Students with Disabilities certificate, the entry-level credential, generally valid five years from its effective date unless NYSED grants an extension.² The prerequisite may be a bachelor's or a master's degree, depending on the pathway you qualify under.³

If you already teach

Certified teachers adding Students with Disabilities, or moving from Initial to Professional, need the advanced certificate. It requires a master's degree, applicable graduate study, and qualifying experience, and the master's must be in hand by program completion if you did not arrive with one.¹ Programs register at specific titles: Birth-Grade 2, Grades 1-6, Grades 5-9, Grades 7-12, or All Grades.⁴ Confirm the registered title matches the classroom you want before you apply.

Where the exams fit

EAS and the Students with Disabilities CST are required components.¹ Passing scores, testing windows, and whether a safety net or an alternative exam applies are set by NYSED and change over time, so confirm current requirements with the Office of Teaching Initiatives instead of trusting a catalog printed years ago.

Verify registration, then expect a recommendation

On a program page, look for an explicit statement of NYSED registration and the certificate title the program leads to. Completion brings institutional verification and a recommendation to NYSED, but the recommendation is not the certificate; NYSED reviews the file and issues it. Ask admissions two questions: which registered title does this program recommend for, and how does it cover the experience the Professional certificate requires?

Lowest Tuition in New York: Public vs. Private Cost for a Special Education Master's

The three lowest-tuition special education master's options in our data are all CUNY campuses: City College ($11,402 per year in-state), Brooklyn College ($11,524), and Lehman College ($11,570), all listed as graduate tuition before aid and excluding mandatory and program fees. City College has the lowest possible total at about $14,570 for its 31-credit minimum, while Lehman's 36-credit All Grades track has the lowest fixed total at $16,920. Your actual total depends on how many credits your prior coursework and certifications require and on any bilingual or dual-certification add-ons. Private programs such as Touro University, Wagner College, and Hofstra University did not rank among the lowest-cost results, and CUNY's $470 per-credit rate applies only to New York residents (nonresidents pay $855, or $565 in online degree programs), so confirm current rates on each school's bursar page.

Related Articles

Median Pay for Special Education Teachers in New York

Pay for New York special education teachers varies by district, region, and school setting, so treat any single number as a starting point.

Quick Answers on Tuition, NYC Certification, and Loan Forgiveness

These answers draw on the cost, certification, and funding details in the sections above. Confirm current figures with each school and agency before you apply.

1. Which New York special education master's program has the lowest total tuition?

   The lowest total we found is $14,570 at City College of New York, which charges $470 per credit; Mount Saint Vincent's online M.S. comes in at $18,864. That is for its online M.S. in Special Education, 36 credits over 12 months, with a certificate option that needs no prior teaching license. Its $15,720, 30-credit track is cheaper but requires a valid New York teaching certificate. We cannot confirm either is the lowest statewide.

2. Which NYC special education master's programs lead to initial certification?

   Teachers College, Columbia offers an M.A. in Special Education leading to the New York State Initial Certificate in Students with Disabilities (All Grades). St. Joseph's University, New York in Brooklyn has a 39-credit program with no prior certification required. Manhattanville University has a 36-credit MAT leading to initial or professional certification, PK-12.¹ Total tuition for all three was not confirmed, so compare costs directly with each school.

3. Is loan forgiveness available for special education teachers in New York?

   Yes, but each option has conditions. Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness requires five consecutive years of full-time teaching at a low-income school or educational service agency. The New York City Loan Forgiveness Program offers $4,000 a year, up to $24,000 over six years, for fields such as bilingual special education, with a November 15, 2026 deadline.³ The state program, which paid up to $20,000, is no longer accepting applications.²

Admissions Requirements, GRE Policies, and Deadlines to Check

Most New York special education master's programs ask for similar core materials, but GRE rules, certification prerequisites, and deadlines differ by school.

• Bachelor's degree and GPA

  Expect a bachelor's degree and a 3.0 GPA at Touro, SUNY Oneonta, LIU, SUNY Empire State, and SUNY Old Westbury. NYU Steinhardt expects a 3.0 but may consider applicants below it.
• Prerequisite coursework

  Most programs want a liberal arts core in English, math, science, and social studies. NYU Steinhardt and Old Westbury ask for 30 liberal arts credits, and SUNY Empire State asks for 24. Touro lets you finish missing content courses during graduate study.
• Certification status

  Binghamton, SUNY Oneonta, and SUNY Empire State expect New York initial teaching certification. Old Westbury does not require it.
• Essays, interviews, and references

  Teachers College requires a video essay and may schedule a faculty meeting. SUNY Oneonta asks for an essay or recorded interview. Confirm how many recommendation letters each program wants.
• GRE policy

  NYU Steinhardt: not required. Touro: optional and accepted for holistic review. SUNY Old Westbury: not required. LIU: required.
• Deadlines

  Binghamton admits on a rolling basis, with priority dates of January 1 (spring), April 23 (summer), and August 6 (fall). Old Westbury's fall deadline is June 1. Teachers College lists January 15 (priority) and July 1 (final) for Fall 2027. Confirm current dates on each program page.
• Before you apply

  Request program information from your shortlisted schools to confirm requirements, application fees, and start terms.

Additional New York Special Education Graduate Programs Worth a Look

This directory lists additional New York special education graduate programs beyond the ranked shortlist, grouped by region so you can compare nearby options. Each entry summarizes the program focus, delivery format, and location using details supplied by the institutions.

New York City

Long Island

Hudson Valley

Capital Region

Central New York

Greater Rochester

Western New York

North Country