Best Online Special Education Programs in Maricopa, AZ (2026)

Maricopa, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs. Maricopa has a population of about 62,986. Median household income is $94,208 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% 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 Maricopa

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

#1

International Baptist College and Seminary

Chandler, AZ 17.8 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 45.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,556
Avg net price $14,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Justice University

Chandler, AZ 20.2 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

American InterContinental University System

Chandler, AZ 20.3 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 27.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 15%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,144
Avg net price $15,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 23%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Advancing Technology

Tempe, AZ 23.1 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 67.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,719
Avg net price $28,522/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 23.3 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 38.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe

Tempe, AZ 24.9 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 15.0
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,657
Avg net price $31,681/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Mesa Community College

Mesa, AZ 25.3 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,034
Avg net price $12,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 25.3 miles from Maricopa BOC Score 30.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near Maricopa

Maricopa 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.


Maricopa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population62,986Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$94,208Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Maricopa-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Maricopa, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Maricopa. The closest is University of Phoenix-Arizona in Phoenix, AZ (25.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arizona State University Digital Immersion (52.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles near Maricopa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Maricopa 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 Casa Grande instead of Maricopa?

Casa Grande, AZ is 17.5 miles from Maricopa 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 Maricopa an affordable place to study special education?

Maricopa’s median household income of $94,208 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Maricopa 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 Maricopa

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

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.