Best Online Special Education Programs in Palm Bay, FL (2026)

Palm Bay, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $72,533 per year for indexed programs. Palm Bay has a population of about 125,273. Median household income is $67,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Secondary School at a median $61,510 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to Palm Bay

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

#1

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL 5.9 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 46.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,137
Avg net price $35,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida Institute of Technology-Online

Melbourne, FL 5.9 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Eastern Florida State College

Melbourne, FL 12.8 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 63.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,195
Avg net price $6,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,496
Out‑of‑state$9,739
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 94

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

#4

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL 43.3 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,315
Avg net price $3,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 125

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Johnson University Florida

Kissimmee, FL 50.4 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL 52.1 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Avg net price $19,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 53.4 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 80.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Webber International University

Babson Park, FL 54.0 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 23.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,606
Avg net price $29,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near Palm Bay

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Florida, statewide)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$58,850
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$60,440
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$61,510
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$58,240

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.


Palm Bay at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population125,273Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,521Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.0 (at U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Bay-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Palm Bay, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Palm Bay. The closest is Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, FL (43.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Stetson University (82.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles in Florida are: Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($61,510), Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($60,440), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($58,850). Wages for Palm Bay workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in West Melbourne instead of Palm Bay?

West Melbourne, FL is 5.8 miles from Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay an affordable place to study special education?

Palm Bay’s median household income of $67,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay

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

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.