Best Online Special Education Programs in Cincinnati, OH (2026)

Cincinnati, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $38,150 to $46,719 per year for indexed programs. Cincinnati has a population of about 309,595. Median household income is $51,707 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Preschool at a median $73,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to Cincinnati

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

#1

Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science

Cincinnati, OH 0.9 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 78.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,111
Avg net price $19,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH 1.1 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,810
Avg net price $25,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 111

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Cincinnati, OH 1.4 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 68.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,303
Avg net price $18,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, OH 1.6 miles from Cincinnati
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35
#5

Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH 1.8 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,873
Avg net price $32,997/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gods Bible School and College

Cincinnati, OH 1.8 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 58.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,722
Avg net price $9,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Cincinnati, OH 1.9 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 50.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,137
Avg net price $4,968/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH 2.3 miles from Cincinnati BOC Score 13.7
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 34%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,368
Avg net price $34,253/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,375
Out‑of‑state$41,375
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near Cincinnati

Cincinnati is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 17140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$64,430Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$67,537
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$64,090Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$67,180
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$64,680Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$67,799
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$73,220Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$76,751

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.


Cincinnati at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population309,595Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,707Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cincinnati-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near Cincinnati, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Cincinnati. The closest is University of Cincinnati-Main Campus in Cincinnati, OH (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Kentucky University (7.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Cincinnati are: Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($73,220), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($64,680), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($64,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Covington instead of Cincinnati?

Covington, KY is 7.5 miles from Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati an affordable place to study special education?

Cincinnati’s median household income of $51,707 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cincinnati while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Cincinnati

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

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.