Best Online Special Education Programs in South Lake Tahoe, CA (2026)

South Lake Tahoe, California has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. South Lake Tahoe has a population of about 21,319. Median household income is $73,940 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Middle School at a median $110,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to South Lake Tahoe

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

#1

Lake Tahoe Community College

South Lake Tahoe, CA 1.1 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score 30.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,657
Avg net price $8,516/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,131
Out‑of‑state$11,103
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$98,330Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$92,156
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$110,850Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$103,889
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$99,900Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$93,627
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$72,390Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$67,844

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.


South Lake Tahoe at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,319Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,940Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other South Lake Tahoe-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near South Lake Tahoe, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near South Lake Tahoe. The closest is University of Nevada-Reno in Reno, NV (42.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Yuba College (87.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles near South Lake Tahoe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near South Lake Tahoe are: Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($110,850), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($99,900), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($98,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Carson City instead of South Lake Tahoe?

Carson City, NV is 19.3 miles from South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe an affordable place to study special education?

South Lake Tahoe’s median household income of $73,940 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Lake Tahoe while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 South Lake Tahoe

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for South Lake Tahoe:

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.