Best Special Education Schools Near Florence, AL (2026)

Florence, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $12,132 to $27,392 per year for indexed programs. Florence has a population of about 42,716. In Alabama, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School at a median $64,520 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to Florence

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer special education programs near Florence, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Florence city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Florence. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Heritage Christian University

Florence, AL 1.8 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,597
Avg net price $15,426/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of North Alabama

Florence, AL 1.9 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,415
Avg net price $12,170/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama special education page.


Special Education Wages Near Florence

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Alabama, statewide)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$64,520
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$62,850
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$62,210
Special Education Teacher, PreschoolN/A

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Florence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)84.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Florence-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Florence, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Florence. The closest is University of North Alabama in Florence, AL (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Alabama in Huntsville (58.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles in Alabama?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles in Alabama are: Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($64,520), Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($62,850), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($62,210). Wages for Florence workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Florence?

Athens, AL is 40.6 miles from Florence and has its own set of local special education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Special Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Florence

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Florence:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.