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Special EducationSchool Finder

Find a private special education school

Every school below told the federal Private School Universe Survey that it is a special education school. Each listing shows the grades, students and teachers it reported, so you can build a shortlist near you before you check state approval and visit.

1,598schools listed

1,598in NCES survey

50states

2026-09-30last data refresh

A listing is not an endorsement. The federal survey does not check licensing, accreditation or quality, and we do not rate or rank schools. Confirm state approval, visit and ask questions. Featured placements are labelled and never change the order.

Browse by grade level

Elementary and secondary958 schools Elementary246 schools Secondary202 schools Ungraded192 schools

Browse by state

Florida210 schools · 102 cities New York149 schools · 79 cities California139 schools · 92 cities Pennsylvania139 schools · 91 cities New Jersey112 schools · 84 cities Massachusetts90 schools · 67 cities Illinois80 schools · 53 cities Virginia69 schools · 45 cities Texas55 schools · 26 cities Connecticut49 schools · 34 cities Ohio47 schools · 31 cities Maryland45 schools · 35 cities Georgia43 schools · 23 cities North Carolina39 schools · 22 cities Arizona34 schools · 15 cities Maine29 schools · 23 cities Missouri21 schools · 13 cities New Hampshire20 schools · 16 cities Wisconsin19 schools · 16 cities Tennessee19 schools · 12 cities Washington17 schools · 9 cities Utah17 schools · 12 cities Vermont16 schools · 16 cities Rhode Island15 schools · 10 cities Colorado11 schools · 10 cities Arkansas10 schools · 8 cities Kentucky10 schools · 4 cities South Carolina9 schools · 5 cities Alabama7 schools · 5 cities Oregon7 schools · 5 cities Mississippi7 schools · 6 cities Michigan6 schools · 5 cities Louisiana6 schools · 2 cities Oklahoma5 schools · 4 cities Hawaii4 schools · 4 cities Nebraska4 schools · 3 cities South Dakota4 schools · 2 cities New Mexico4 schools · 3 cities Indiana4 schools · 2 cities District of Columbia4 schools · 1 cities North Dakota3 schools · 3 cities Idaho3 schools · 3 cities Montana3 schools · 3 cities Kansas3 schools · 3 cities Delaware3 schools · 3 cities Nevada3 schools · 3 cities West Virginia2 schools · 2 cities Wyoming1 schools · 1 cities Iowa1 schools · 1 cities Minnesota1 schools · 1 cities

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Guides

Private special education schools and your child's IEPHow placement in a private special education school works under IDEA: when the school district pays, when parents choose, and the notice steps that protect reimbursement.How to evaluate a private special education schoolA practical set of questions and things to look for on a school visit: approval, staffing, programme fit, data, transitions and communication.Paying for private special education: who pays and what to askThe main ways tuition is covered: district placement through an IEP, reimbursement after a dispute, and state programmes, and what to do before you sign a tuition contract.What the NCES Private School Survey shows and does not showWhere the data in this directory comes from, how special education schools are identified, what each field means, and the limits families should keep in mind.

Where this data comes from

Every listing starts from public records — NCES Private School Universe Survey 2023-24, NCES Private School Search, PSS 2023-24 codebook — not from who paid to be listed. A In the NCES survey badge means we matched the business to an active public record, dated. Read the methodology →

Common questions

Where does this data come from?

From the 2023-24 Private School Universe Survey, run by NCES with the U.S. Census Bureau. Each school describes itself. See what the survey shows.

Does a listing mean the school is approved by my state?

No. State approval is separate. Ask your state education department, especially if you want the district to pay. See placement and the IEP.

Who pays for a private special education school?

It depends: the district may place and pay through the IEP, or parents may seek reimbursement after a dispute, or use a state programme. See who pays.

How do I choose between schools?

Check approval, ask about staffing, therapies, behaviour policies and communication, and visit. See our checklist.

Why is a school missing?

We list schools that answered the 2023-24 survey as special education. A school may have answered differently, joined later, or not responded.

Do you rate schools?

No. We show what each school reported to NCES, alphabetically.