Best Online Special Education Programs in El Mirage, AZ (2026)

El Mirage, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs. El Mirage has a population of about 35,823. Median household income is $74,764 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Secondary School at a median $64,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to El Mirage

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer special education programs near El Mirage, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Mirage 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 El Mirage. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Ottawa University-Surprise

Surprise, AZ 3.6 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 27.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $33,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Glendale Community College

Glendale, AZ 8.0 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 42.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $11,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Arizona Christian University

Glendale, AZ 8.6 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 30.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,612
Avg net price $32,839/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,098
Out‑of‑state$35,098
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Midwestern University-Glendale

Glendale, AZ 9.6 miles from El Mirage
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Brookline College-Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ 12.5 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 37.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,576
Avg net price $30,072/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 12.5 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 33.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ 12.5 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 14.3
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,657
Avg net price $36,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Chamberlain University-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 12.9 miles from El Mirage BOC Score 52.3
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,405
Avg net price $40,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near El Mirage

El Mirage is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$58,930Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$57,047
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$62,360Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$60,368
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$64,490Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$62,430
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$60,400Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$58,470

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.


El Mirage at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,823Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$74,764Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+14.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other El Mirage-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near El Mirage, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near El Mirage. The closest is Ottawa University-Surprise in Surprise, AZ (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arizona State University Digital Immersion (27.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles near El Mirage?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near El Mirage are: Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($64,490), Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($62,360), Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($60,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Glendale instead of El Mirage?

Glendale, AZ is 5.9 miles from El Mirage 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.

Is El Mirage an affordable place to study special education?

El Mirage’s median household income of $74,764 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Mirage while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 El Mirage

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

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.