Best Online Special Education Programs in Ithaca, NY (2026)

Ithaca, New York has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $8,874 to $68,699 per year for indexed programs. Ithaca has a population of about 31,792. Median household income is $48,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ithaca, NY metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Middle School at a median $75,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to Ithaca

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

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 1.3 miles from Ithaca BOC Score 73.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY 1.5 miles from Ithaca BOC Score 67.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,548
Avg net price $33,926/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,540
Out‑of‑state$53,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near Ithaca

Ithaca is part of the Ithaca, NY metro area (BLS area code 27060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$61,910Ithaca, NY$59,932
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$75,860Ithaca, NY$73,437
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$70,510Ithaca, NY$68,258
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$68,180NY statewide$66,002

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.


Ithaca at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,792Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Ithaca-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Ithaca, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Ithaca. The closest is Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Binghamton University (36.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Ithaca are: Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($75,860), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($70,510), Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($68,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cortland instead of Ithaca?

Cortland, NY is 19.7 miles from Ithaca 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 Ithaca an affordable place to study special education?

Ithaca’s median household income of $48,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ithaca while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Ithaca

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

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.