Best Online Special Education Programs in Lansing, MI (2026)

Lansing, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $39,350 to $54,222 per year for indexed programs. Lansing has a population of about 112,546. Median household income is $52,170 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Middle School at a median $77,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to Lansing

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

#1

Thomas M Cooley Law School

Lansing, MI 1.2 miles from Lansing
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,450
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lansing Community College

Lansing, MI 1.8 miles from Lansing BOC Score 48.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,206
Avg net price $5,437/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Great Lakes Christian College

Lansing, MI 4.9 miles from Lansing BOC Score 28.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,053
Avg net price $15,524/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 51%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ross Medical Education Center-Lansing

Lansing, MI 18.4 miles from Lansing BOC Score 33.0
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,072
Avg net price $19,501/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near Lansing

Lansing is part of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area (BLS area code 29620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$75,080Lansing-East Lansing, MI$79,032
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$77,140Lansing-East Lansing, MI$81,200
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$76,870Lansing-East Lansing, MI$80,916
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$75,860MI statewide$79,853

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.


Lansing at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population112,546Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,170Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lansing-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Lansing, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Lansing. The closest is Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Calvin University (53.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Lansing are: Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($77,140), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($76,870), Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($75,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in East Lansing instead of Lansing?

East Lansing, MI is 4.5 miles from Lansing 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 Lansing an affordable place to study special education?

Lansing’s median household income of $52,170 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lansing while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Lansing

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.