Best Online Special Education Programs in North Port, FL (2026)

North Port, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,118 to $49,329 per year for indexed programs. North Port has a population of about 80,512. Median household income is $81,940 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Secondary School at a median $74,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to North Port

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

#1

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, FL 20.9 miles from North Port BOC Score 42.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,325
Avg net price $57,742/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Galen Health Institutes-Sarasota

Sarasota, FL 25.0 miles from North Port BOC Score 40.8
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,480
Avg net price $28,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Arizona College of Nursing-Sarasota

University Park, FL 29.6 miles from North Port BOC Score 8.7
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,657
Avg net price $28,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

New College of Florida

Sarasota, FL 31.7 miles from North Port BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,082
Avg net price $7,195/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,916
Out‑of‑state$29,944
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 35.7 miles from North Port BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,318
Avg net price $22,356/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Hodges University

Fort Myers, FL 38.6 miles from North Port
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 39.8 miles from North Port BOC Score 66.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,421
Avg net price $7,247/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near North Port

North Port is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area (BLS area code 35840). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$63,140North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$61,660
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$62,540North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$61,074
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,960North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$73,203
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$68,990North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$67,373

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.


North Port at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population80,512Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$81,940Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other North Port-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near North Port, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near North Port. The closest is Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL (48.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Florida (70.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles near North Port?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near North Port are: Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($74,960), Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($68,990), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($63,140). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Venice instead of North Port?

Venice, FL is 13.9 miles from North Port 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 North Port an affordable place to study special education?

North Port’s median household income of $81,940 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Port while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 North Port

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

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.