Northeastern Seminary
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 2265 Westside Dr Rochester, NY 14624
- (585) 594-6800
- Visit website
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
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Best Online Special Education Programs in Rochester, NY (2026)
Rochester, New York has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $26,046 per year for indexed programs. Rochester has a population of about 209,720. Median household income is $46,628 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rochester, NY metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Preschool at a median $63,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Special Education Schools to Rochester
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer special education programs near Rochester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rochester 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 Rochester. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 320 North Goodman St, Suite 207 Rochester, NY 14607
- (585) 271-1320
- Visit website
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Talmudical Institute of Upstate New York
Avg net price
$7,299/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 769 Park Ave Rochester, NY 14618-3046
- (585) 473-2810
- Visit website
Key stats
- Retention rate: 50%
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
University of Rochester
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$79,042
Avg net price
$29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- Wilson Blvd. - Wallis Hall Rochester, NY 14627-0011
- (585) 275-3221
- Visit website
Key stats
- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Bryant & Stratton College-Greece
Graduation rate
32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,568
Avg net price
$11,503/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 854 Long Pond Road Rochester, NY 14612
- (585) 720-0660
- Visit website
Key stats
- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
St Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 120 French Road Rochester, NY 14618
- (585) 271-3657
- Visit website
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
St. John Fisher University
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,944
Avg net price
$28,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 3690 East Ave Rochester, NY 14618-3597
- (585) 385-8000
- Visit website
Key stats
- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Rochester Institute of Technology
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,571
Avg net price
$34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
- 1 Lomb Memorial Dr Rochester, NY 14623-5603
- (585) 475-2411
- Visit website
Key stats
- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 67
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York special education page.
Special Education Wages Near Rochester
Rochester is part of the Rochester, NY metro area (BLS area code 40380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School | $60,760 | Rochester, NY | $62,639 |
| Special Education Teacher, Middle School | $63,040 | Rochester, NY | $64,990 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $63,190 | Rochester, NY | $65,144 |
| Special Education Teacher, Preschool | $63,580 | Rochester, NY | $65,546 |
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.
Rochester at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 209,720 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $46,628 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 29.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.0 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rochester-Area Cities With Special Education Programs
- Brockport, NY – 16.6 mi away (20,142 pop)
- Geneva, NY – 38.3 mi away (29,371 pop)
- Lockport, NY – 54.4 mi away (34,859 pop)
- Auburn, NY – 55.3 mi away (31,263 pop)
- Oswego, NY – 59.4 mi away (38,208 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited special education schools are near Rochester, NY?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Rochester. The closest is University of Rochester in Rochester, NY (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Brockport (17.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying special education roles near Rochester?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Rochester are: Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($63,580), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($63,190), Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($63,040). 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 Brockport instead of Rochester?
Brockport, NY is 16.6 miles from Rochester 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 Rochester an affordable place to study special education?
Rochester’s median household income of $46,628 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rochester 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
- Special Education accreditation: what to look for
- Special Education concentrations and specializations
- Is a Special Education degree worth it?
- Main Special Education degree guide
- Online Special Education programs in New York
- Special Education programs by state
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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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.
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