1. Higher Education Consortium
for Special Education
January 16, 2019
Jacqueline E. King, Ph.D.

2. What is the National Portrait?
1. Describes colleges of education: the work they do, the people who do that work and the students they serve
2. Outlines contributions in teaching, research and service
3. Identifies some of the significant challenges facing colleges of education
In this context, we realized at AACTE that it would be important to document the major trends affecting colleges of education. Since colleges of education prepare the vast majority of teachers and other professional educators, trends affecting colleges of education will inevitably affect our entire educational system.
Our goals were threefold:
First, we wanted to describe the size and scope of the enterprise.
Second, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the many contributions that colleges of education make.
Finally, we wanted to describe some of the important challenges that colleges of education are confronting.

3. Definition
Not all education programs are housed in a college or school of education.
There are no national data that distinguish institutions with a college of education.
This report uses the term college of education to refer to all four-year colleges and universities that award degrees or certificates in education at the bachelor’s degree level or higher.
Whenever two-year or less-than-two-year institutions are discussed, they are referenced explicitly.
What is a “College of Education” in this report?

4. Key Findings
Colleges of education make significant contributions to American education through teaching, research, and service.
Those preparing to become educators are not as diverse as the students they will serve.
Enrollment declines challenge colleges of education to meet all the needs of America’s schools.
Faculty retirements will present challenges and opportunities as colleges of education evolve.

5. Data Sources Title II Data Collection
Reported by teacher preparation programs
Counts program enrollment and completers
Includes non-institutional providers
Includes only programs preparing students for initial licensure
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)
Reported by Institutions
Counts degrees and certificates conferred by field and specialty (among many other topics)
Does not count enrollment by program or major
Does not capture students who complete a teacher preparation program but do not earn a degree or certificate in education

6. Completion Trends

7. Distribution of Degrees Conferred in Education

8. Completion Trends in Teacher Preparation Programs
Number of Program Completers
Traditional
Alternative, Not IHE-based
Alternative, IHE-based
All Programs
180,574
24,609
18,679
223,862
139,443
20,018
12,689
172,150
Percentage Change
-23%
-19%
-32%

9. 10-Year Trend in Bachelor’s Degrees by Field

10. Mismatch Between Majors and School Needs
High-Need Fields
Teacher Preparation Program Completers
Master’s Degree Completers
Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition 4% 5%
Foreign Language 2% 1%
Math 3%
Reading 9%
Science
Special Education
27%
Master’s degree percentages reflect only those earning degrees in fields related to teaching.
30 or more states and territories reported statewide shortages in these areas last year:
Special Ed
Math
Computer Science
Science
Foreign languages
English/Language Arts
ESL-Bilingual Ed
Career Technical Education

11. Institutions by Number of Degrees Conferred
Number of Degrees and Certificates Awarded
Number of Institutions
Percentage of Degrees and Certificates Awarded
More than 1,000 23
16%
500 to 999
119
28%
250 to 499
205
26%
100 to 249
313
18%
50 to 99
281 7%
25 to 49
265 3%
Fewer than 25
482 2%
All Institutions
1,688
100%
142 institutions award 44% of all degrees above the AA. More than 1,000 institutions award fewer than 100 degrees and certificates in education, and almost 500 institutions award fewer than 25 degrees or certificates.

12. Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Trends

13. Doctoral Degrees by Gender

14. Undergraduate Diversity

15. Lack of Diversity
“Other” category includes students of more than one race and nonresident aliens.

16. Education Compared to Other Disciplines
BA’s Conferred
% Non-White
All Fields
646,566
40%
Homeland security, law enforcement, and firefighting
60,623
46%
Public administration and social services
34,042
45%
Psychology
114,546
41%
Multi/interdisciplinary studies
47,475
Biological and biomedical sciences
110,509
Computer science
60,321
39%
Social sciences and history
151,367
38%
Liberal arts and sciences
42,785
37%
Family and consumer sciences
24,898
35%
Business
344,280
Communication and journalism
89,316
34%
Health professions and related programs
226,267
33%
Visual and performing arts
87,837
32%
Engineering
96,754
Parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness
50,074
Physical sciences
28,865
29%
English
42,223
Education
86,275
22%
Agriculture and natural resources
36,215
19%
Business and health professions account for 77% of non-white BA/BS recipients.

17. Teacher Preparation Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
Traditional
Alternative, Institution-based
Alternative, Not Institution-based
All Programs
White
72%
60%
53%
70%
Hispanic
13%
18%
African American 8%
14%
22% 9%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3% 4%
Native American 1%
More than one race 2%
Total
100%
By comparison, whites made up 64% of all BA recipients in

18. Graduate Student Diversity

19. Graduate Student Diversity by Degree Type
Certificate
Master‘s
Doctorate
Total
White
67%
64%
57%
Men
17%
15%
18%
Women
50%
49%
38%
48%
African American
12%
10%
11% 2% 4% 9% 8%
13%
Hispanic 6% 1% 3% 5% 7%
Race/ethnicity unknown
Asian/Pacific Islander
Nonresident Alien
Two or more races
American Indian or Alaska Native 0%
Grand Total
100%
By comparison, the percentage of whites among all MA and Doctorate recipients was 66% and

20. Master’s Degree Diversity by Field
Degrees Conferred
% Non- White
All Fields
649,653
33%
Computer science
14,820
46%
Public administration and social services
44,183
42%
Business
153,430
38%
Engineering
22,356
34%
Psychology
26,557
Health professions
106,149
Education
141,286
28%

21. Doctorate/Professional Diversity by Field
Degrees Conferred
% Non-White
All Fields
156,407
32%
Education
11,142
35%
Health professions
71,321
33%
Legal professions
35,915
30%
Engineering
4,495
Psychology
6,208
29%
Biological and biomedical sciences
5,808
27%
Social sciences and history
3,366
22%
Physical sciences
3,631
20%

22. Special Education

23. Institutions Awarding Degrees and Certificates in Special Education
Degrees/Certificates Conferred
Bachelor’s
425
8,791
Post-BA/Post-MA Certificates
161
2,110
Master’s
563
17,480
Doctorates 58
231
Total
797
28,612
Note that includes first majors only – could change slightly when second majors are added.
Also, note that these are degrees conferred in a given year – Especially at the doctoral level, there are likely programs that didn’t happen to confer any degrees in that year.

24. Post-BA/Post-MA Certificates
Largest Specialties
Bachelor’s
Post-BA/Post-MA Certificates
Master’s
Doctorates
Total
Special Education and Teaching, General
6,469
828
11,559
198
19,054
Early Childhood Special Education Programs
595 63
976
1,634
Elementary Special Education Programs
432 62
1,123
1,617
Individuals with Autism 9
514
843
1,366
Special Education and Teaching, Other
340
103
658 13
1,114
Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
210 85
308
603
Gifted and Talented
223 1
564
Secondary Special Education Programs 29 21
477
527
Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
132 34
309
475
Speech or Language Impairments
148 42
261
451
Again, this is degrees conferred as reported to the feds – not programs. For example, some of the 200 general doctorates may have included an emphasis in a particular area but they may not have been coded that way.

25. Institutions by Number of Special Education Degrees/Certificates Awarded
Number of Institutions
Percentage of
All Degrees/Certificates Awarded
500 or more 5
15%
250 to 499 5%
100 to 250 40
21%
50 to 100
114
27%
25 to 50
138
17%
10 to 25
210
11%
Fewer than 10
285 4%
Total
797
100%
50 institutions awarded 41% of all special education degrees and certificates at the BA level or higher.
There are almost 500 institutions that awarded 25 or fewer special education degrees or certificates annually.

26. Degrees/Certificates Awarded
Institutions that Award the Most Degrees/Certificates in Special Education
Institution Name
Degrees/Certificates Awarded
Grand Canyon University
1,234
Ball State University
960
Touro College
943
Western Governors University
580
Liberty University
518
CUNY Hunter College
351
George Mason University
330
National University
282
Arkansas State University-Main Campus
267
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
263

27. Institutions that Awarded the Most Doctorates in Special Education in 2016-17
Institution Name
Doctorates Awarded
University of Northern Colorado 11
Teachers College at Columbia University
Vanderbilt University 10
University of Florida 9
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 8
Utah State University
Illinois State University 7
George Washington University
University of Oregon
University of Washington-Seattle Campus

28. Special Education Degree/Certificate Recipients by Race/Ethnicity
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-BA/Post-MA Certificates
Doctorate
Total
White
81%
73%
80%
67%
76%
African American 4% 9% 8% 6%
Hispanic
10%
11% 5%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1% 3% 2%
American Indian/Alaska Native 0%
Two or more races
Nonresident Alien
16%
100%

29. Coming Soon
Education Students and Diversity: A Review of New Evidence (February 2019)
Degree Trends in Areas of Teacher Shortage (Release TBD)

30. Questions & Discussion
Now we’d like to open the floor for your questions.