The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was a landmark achievement for everyone from those suffering from discrimination in the workplace due to mental or physical disabilities to those struggling with equal access within the realm of higher education at the time. As a result of the law, many college campuses began to rethink their facilities, programs and curriculums in an effort to begin the slow process of better accommodating students with learning disabilities and special needs. Today, most mainstream students may notice indicators of these accommodations being prevalent on their college campus with the addition of powered accessible doors, wheelchair ramps and elevators in all multi-floor buildings, however a recent survey concluded that even though 86% of universities enroll and educate students with disabilities, only 24% of the schools polled say they offer those students assistance “to a major extent”.
While they may still be in the minority nationwide, the schools listed below have shown a consistent value and priority for meeting the physical, social and academic needs of students with learning disabilities and special needs. The majority of these campuses offer special needs-focused centers that are professionally staffed and open every weekday. The services usually consist of programs that encourage accessibility, advocacy and opportunity for the academic success of all students needing assistance. Many services provided by these schools are done so free of charge and are offered through the generous work of volunteers.
Our Methodology For This Ranking
The following ranking highlights universities that have strong programming and solid support services for students with needs including, but not limited to, learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), visual and hearing impairment and those with physical needs that require special access, accommodations, service animals and/or alternative transportation. These exceptional schools are some of the best in the country at committing resources and funding to equipping their students with tools they need to not only become a successful student in the classroom but also a valuable member of the student body as a whole on the campus and in the community. The schools that made our list far exceeded the minimum legal requirements for accessibility and were also evaluated and ranked based on characteristics like academic reputation, student satisfaction, affordability, and average financial aid awarded.
University of Michigan
College Choice Score: 100.0
Net Cost: $14,683
Home to the Wolverines, the University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just 40 miles west of Detroit. The school was founded in 1817 under the original name of “Catholepistemiad” and located in Detroit until moving to Ann Arbor in 1837. The current President’s residence is one of the original buildings on the Michigan campus. Today the student body consists of 43,000 students with a lower student to instructor ratio of 12 to 1. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Michigan alumni include the inventor of the iPod, co-founder of Google and the first American to walk in space.
Service to the disabled student body came into focus at Michigan just five months after the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 when the university officially recognized the Office of Disabled Student Services. The office was renamed Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in 1989 and since then the organization has advocated for students with disabilities at state, national and even international levels. The SSD was the first to establish “an adaptive technology computing lab and together with the Provost’s office a fund to support mandated accommodations”. These trailblazing efforts have since been repeated by many major universities nationwide. The SSD, whose services are free to students, features Modern Language Aptitude Testing throughout the year and maintains the well-resourced HathiTrust Digital Library.
University of Southern California
College Choice Score: 97.85
Net Cost: $19,365
42,000 students are currently enrolled at the University of Southern California located in sunny, Los Angeles, California. It is a far cry from 1880 when the school of just 35 students and 10 teachers was established before LA would have paved roads, electric lighting or even the telephone in place. Today USC’s full-time faculty makes it the single largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. The school’s connection to the motion picture industry is well-known as over over 234 hours of motion picture film is produced annually by students of the School of Cinematic Arts. Popular USC alumni include directors Ron Howard and Robert Zemeckis. The University of Southern California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Housed within the Division of Student Affairs, USC offers the Disability Services and Programs (DSP) which “provides support services necessary to enable students with disabilities to develop their maximum academic potential while having the dignity to work independently”. Autonomy is a top priority for the DSP which encourages students who seek their services to focus on self-advocacy within the mainstream of the school’s academic and social culture. “While we provide personal and administrative support, our philosophy encourages students to take responsibility for their academic and co-curricular activities.” The free services provided by DSP include tutoring, note taking, special accommodations for testing, assistive technology and a stress on meeting the unique needs of students based on their specific disabilities.
College Choice Score: 94.09
Net Cost: $18,088
Northeastern University’s reputation for high academic standards is clear from the onset as 70% of incoming freshmen are in the top ten of their high school’s graduating class. The 19,000 enrolled students at NU, 65% of which are female and 35% of which are male, enjoy a 90% success rate in job placement or grad school acceptance just 9 months after receiving their undergraduate degree. As for diversity, Northeastern, located in Boston, Massachusetts, has seen a 48% increase in students of color since 2006. The university was established in 1898 and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Northeastern’s Disability Resource Center (DRC) is open every weekday and offers an array of services to disabled students free of charge once the register with the office. The Center hosts a sizable group of volunteer students who take notes for DRC supported students. 5 sessions of transitional tutoring are also included that guide DRC students from getting a general overview of the program, becoming a successful self-advocate, resources available on campus, getting the most from the DRC and an overview of the many technological opportunities on the Northeastern campus.
College Choice Score: 93.68
Net Cost: $16,451
Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Xavier University is a Jesuit institution that stresses knowledge and social justice as part of its mission statement to education. Even though Xavier is rooted in the Catholic faith, its 6,500 students are exposed to over 15 religious groups represented on campus. Located in Cincinnati, the city named by Forbes as the 5th most affordable city in America, Xavier students enjoy the perks of a car-friendly campus, HBO On Demand and free tickets to its sports events for freshmen. As for networking, 560 companies are active in Xavier’s Mentoring Program, the school holds 5 career fairs each year and there are 200 local and national service organizations on campus.
Xavier offers two free programs that work in tandem to both accommodate students with disabilities and support them to better facilitate learning. The first is Disability Services (DS) which “works in partnership with the student and collaborates with faculty to ensure the provision of reasonable and appropriate accommodations.” Services include exam accommodations, alternative formats of textbooks and class resources, access and assistance with class notes, academic coaching, housing and assistance animal accommodations. ClockWork is another free service provided which allows access to “scheduling and database software Disability Services uses for managing accommodations”. Along with DS The Learning Assistance Center is where students can receive tutoring, take tests in a less-distracting environment and utilize assistive technology.
University of Texas
College Choice Score: 93.44
Net Cost: $13,308
U.S. News & World Report hails the University of Texas, located in Texas’ state capitol Austin, as one of the top 20 public universities in the country; while the Latin American history, accounting and petroleum engineering programs lead the nation in their respective areas. 51,000 students are enrolled at UT which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Popular and famous personalities among the vast total number of 484,000 alumni include actors Matthew McConaughey and Marcia Gay Harden, director Robert Rodriguez, businessmen Michael Dell and Rex Tillerson and journalist Walter Cronkite.
Within their Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the University of Texas maintains the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) offices in the student services building on campus. The SSD holds events throughout the year and promotes such resources as easy access to reporting a Bias Incident directly to the Campus Climate Response Team. Services include assistance programs with alternative text, adaptive testing, assistive technology information course load reduction and sign language interpreters. Each semester the SSD publishes a newsletter containing “important office and staff updates, changes to policies and procedures, a calendar of events, academic dates and deadlines, and other news of interest to students”.
College of Charleston
College Choice Score: 92.30
Net Cost: $10,793
Founded six years before America would declare its independence from England in 1776, The College of Charleston, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, is currently the oldest university south of Virginia and the 13th oldest in all of the Unites States. Today the school’s enrollment of 11,000, 3,000 of which live on campus, come from 49 states and 62 countries worldwide. Steeped in tradition, graduates of the College of Charleston forgo the usual cap and gown attire worn at most college commencements and instead don white dinner jackets for men and white dresses for women in the spring ceremony and black tuxedos and black dresses during the December commencement.
Accessibility is of the utmost importance to the Center for Disability Services at the College of Charleston. The Center’s staff and volunteers work to ensure an environment of “reasonable and effective accommodations while promoting independence in the student”. One program unique to the Center is SNAP (Students Needing Access Parity). SNAP provides support and guidance to those students with documented disabilities like bridging communication with instructors in order to raise awareness of disabled students’ learning differences and course alternatives to math/logic and foreign language requirements for certain mainstream degree programs. The College of Charleston currently has 900 students enrolled in the SNAP program.
University of Connecticut
College Choice Score: 92.16
Net Cost: $14,000
Located in Storrs, Connecticut and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Connecticut is comprised of 14 schools offering 108 majors and was listed in 2016’s U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s top 25 universities in the nation. The school was first established in 1880 as Storrs Agricultural School when brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs donated 170 acres, a former orphanage and $6,000 to the state. Today’s enrollment is 26,000 and the alumni network is made up of over 242,000 former students, over half of which still reside in Connecticut.
Originally named the Program for the Physically Handicapped in 1967, the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) gained momentum on UC’s campus in 1977 as a result of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 when the campus began to make accessibility for all students a top priority. The school’s work in establishing modified sidewalks, ramps and elevators in less-accessible areas of campus resulted in the University of Connecticut’s being named one of the top ten most disabled-friendly colleges in 1999 by New Mobility Magazine. The CSD touts a large staff that includes over 200 student employees while the campus currently provides 11 accessible residence halls to its over 700 students with disabilities. CSD services include academic advising, access to personal assistants (paid by students) and technology assistance through a program called CSDTech.
College Choice Score: 91.24
Net Cost: $20,167
For high school students interested in getting a jump on their college career, Marist College of Poughkeepsie, New York offers a summer program called “Pre-College” where students can earn college credit through one of its 13 academic programs before receiving their high school diploma. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Marist was established in 1929 and is located on the Hudson River between Albany and New York City. The student body of 6,300 students can choose from 46 undergraduate programs and 13 master’s programs.
Education Insider News Blog recently named Marist College as the 3rd best campus for students with learning disabilities. The school’s Learning Disability Support Program (LDSP) was established almost 30 years ago in an effort to emphasis students’ unique learning styles and help with the changing climate of assistive technologies in higher education. In their own words, the LDSP exists to “provide individualized support to students with disabilities to ensure access to a complete education, to promote full independence in the academic environment and the greater society, and to increase awareness and sensitivity of the campus and community of the need of individuals with disabilities”.
College Choice Score: 89.88
Net Cost: $15,791
The small, 4-year private Messiah College has a student body of 3,200 and a student to instructor ratio of 13 to 1. Despite its size, Messiah’s athletic program boasts “23 NCAA DIII National Championships since 2000” and the school offers 80+ programs of study. Located just outside the state capital city of Harrisburg in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, MC received its charter in 1909. It was originally founded as the Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home by the Brethren in Christ Church and today is ranked as the 5th Best Regional College in the Northeast by U.S. News and World Report.
The Office of Disability Services at Messiah College currently supports and accommodates nearly 200 students with physical, psychological and learning disabilities. As they state, “Messiah College is committed, not only to the legal requirements of the ADA, but to the moral and ethical responsibility to treat all members of the community with fairness.” One interesting feature of the services offered at Messiah is the creation of an Accommodation Profile (AP) that is negotiated between the Director of Disability Services and the student seeking aid. Common assistance given as a result of the AP may include extended time on exams, proctored exams, note-taking assistance and alternative text forms. These primary services are free while more specialized assistance is available at the expense of the student.
University of the Ozarks
College Choice Score: 89.85
Net Cost: $4,290
In 1834 a group of Cumberland Presbyterians assembled to establish the Cane Hill School in Cane Hill, Arkansas. Over a hundred years later, the school would be renamed the University of the Ozarks in 1987. Today the school is planted on 30 acres in Clarksville, AR and is an exclusively undergraduate, private school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools with a total enrollment of 587 students. Despite its low numbers, UO is still able to offer over 60 majors, minors and pre-professional programs. A trailblazing milestone achievement of University of the Ozarks includes its being the first college in Arkansas to admit women in 1875.
University of the Ozarks offers the Jones Learning Center as a program designed for students with learning disabilities, AD/HD, and ASD. This comprehensive fee-based program “provides students with learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the skill sets to succeed academically and build brighter futures. The JLC offers more services than any other collegiate program for students with learning disabilities in the nation.” The JLC works to empower students by focusing on essential areas of academic and social success which providing access to academic support staff, peer tutors and notetakers, specific skill specialists, technology assistance and ASD support. The program enjoys a 100% referral rate from UO graduates for students with similar backgrounds.
College Choice Score: 88.69
Net Cost: $11,886
The Catholic, liberal arts school of Loras College is located in Dubuque, Iowa. Originally established as St. Raphael Seminary in order to educate young men preparing for priesthood, the school was founded by the Most Rev. Mathias Loras in 1839. Today the school of 1,500 students is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and enjoys a small student to instructor ratio of 12 to 1. 100% of students attending Loras receive some sort of financial aid and the school is ranked 2nd in student return in investment among Iowa’s private universities.
Loras College features the Lynch Learning Center (LLC) which offers 3 levels of direction and support for students with diagnosed disabilities. With the 4-year fee-based Autism Specific Program, students participate in regular meetings with a Certified Autism Specialist as they work through processes of self-advocacy, stress management and organization. The Enhanced Program is “a comprehensive program designed to provide additional support for students with a primary disability of Attention Deficit Disorder or Learning Disability”. For the budget-minded student Loras also offers free accommodation services that includes consultation with LLC staff to determine how services like less-distracting testing environments, extended-time testing and assistive technology can benefit them.
California State University, Fullerton
College Choice Score: 88.60
Net Cost: $2,058
The 236-acre campus of California State University located in Fullerton is just 25 miles from the fast-paced culture of Los Angeles and 20 miles from the beautiful beaches of southern California. Cal State Fullerton offers 107 degree programs from its 8 colleges to the 38,000 students who attend classes. Accredited by the Western Association of schools and colleges, the school was established as the 12th state university in California in 1957. Today the campus consists of 29 buildings, a spectacular Arboretum which spans 26 acres and a state-of-the-art 95,000 square foot two-story Student Recreation Center which cost the school 40 million dollars to complete.
The goal of California State University, Fullerton’s Disability Support Services (DSS) is to provide “co-curricular and academically related services which empower students with disabilities to achieve academic and personal self-determination”. Specific programs include Abled Advocators; a campus community dedicated to disability awareness which meets bimonthly to discuss topics like inclusion and diversity, leadership/professional networking and plans group social events throughout the calendar year. DSS group also takes part in the annual CSUF Special Games for special athletes held on campus for athletes from Orange County and its surrounding areas. The DSS offers students a diagnostic assessment to see what services would best fit their needs in order to achieve success at CSUF.
College Choice Score: 88.46
Net Cost: $8,911
Enjoying an average class size of 17 students and a student to instructor ratio of 15 to 1, the relatively small number of 3,500 students at Augsburg College are affectionately known as “Auggies”. Originally founded in Marshall, Wisconsin in 1869, the college was moved to Minneapolis just three years later by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Today the two predominant religious affiliations among students are Lutheran at just over twenty percent and Roman Catholic at thirteen percent. Unlike most campuses, virtually half the students enrolled at Augsburg College reside on campus while the three most popular concentrations are Biology, Psychology and Management.
Disability Services offices are housed on the Augsburg College campus within the Center for Learning and Accessible Student Services (CLASS). “CLASS promotes access and inclusion for students with disabilities by partnering with the campus community to provide accommodations, resources and education.” The CLASS boasts a seasoned staff experienced in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Through CLASS, Disability Specialists offer a wide range of services including evaluations, individual academic and social support, strategies for learning, compensatory techniques and housing assistance.
West Virginia Wesleyan College
College Choice Score: 87.57
Net Cost: $6,378
The Bobcats at 4-year private West Virginia Wesleyan College don orange and black when they compete in their NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference. The campus is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The 1,500 students of West Virginia Wesleyan can choose from 44 majors and 34 minors “along with graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, education, English creative writing, and nursing”. Education, Nursing and Exercise Science are the three most popular fields of study at the school.
The Learning Center of West Virginia Wesleyan College provides both fee-based and free support programs for students with diagnosed learning disabilities and special needs. The fee-based programs include The Mentor Advantage Program (which can include private and professional tutoring), Day-Time Check-In, and the “Lindamood-Bell ® Approach to Learning”. Free student services include access to the Foundational Program “which provides one-on-one academic and accommodation strategy guidance through professional staff who have graduate degrees in Education, Educational Psychology, Psychology, Special Education, Counseling and Reading”. Other services provided include a test and study lab, assistive technology lab and a peer tutoring system.
Abilene Christian University
College Choice Score: 86.52
Net Cost: $13,162
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Abilene Christian University is the home of the Wildcats and over 4,400 students seeking undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees. Established in 1906 as the Childers Classical Institute, the school has enjoyed much success in its athletic programs, most notably in track and field. Texas Monthly magazine named ACU’s track and field program “Texas Sports Dynasty” in 1999. Abilene Christian’s first Southland Conference championship was won by the women’s cross country team in 2015. The school also leads the way in technology by spearheading programs like the mobile-learning initiative of 2008 when over 900 incoming freshmen received a complimentary iPhone or iPod touch in order to enhance their academic experience. Four years later the school would be named an Apple Distinguished School, “a recognition by Apple as an exemplary learning environment for innovation, leadership and educational excellence”.
Abilene Christian University’s Alpha Scholars Program (ASP) consists of two cooperative resources: Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded TRIO program, and the school’s Disability Support Services (DSS). ASP’s mission is to “empower college students with individual needs to choose academic success to the level of their greatest potential”. Each year 200 students benefit from the programs offered by the Student Support Services which include private tutoring, academic and career coaching and financial aid assistance. Assessments and accommodations are made for students with disabilities through the DSS based on their their “individual learning styles and study habits with recommendations for adapting study methods to their unique learning characteristics”.
College Choice Score: 86.02
Net Cost: $6,798
Alfred, New York, known as “a village in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains about an hour west of Corning, an hour and a half south of Rochester”, is home to Alfred University; a 4-year private university of 2,300 students. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the students of AU enjoy a small student to instructor ratio of 12 to 1. Originally established in 1836, Alfred University is one of America’s oldest co-ed universities. One popular school tradition includes dressing the statue of King Alfred, located in the middle of campus, in various outfits at different times in the school’s calendar. The university places a high value on environmentalism as seen by the newly designed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) residence hall and programs that include sustainable dining, green laundry and the Council on Green Efforts.
All incoming Alfred University students receive a Center for Academic Success (CAS) registration form as a part of their admissions process. By completing the form and after achieving qualification, students with special needs and learning disabilities can receive services like appropriate accommodations, access to early orientation, be assigned an academic consultant and receive self-advocacy training. Besides providing consultation and advocacy with the university’s staff and administration in order to ensure that students with documented disabilities receive appropriate accommodations and services relevant to students’ needs, CAS also works with students to create a student plan with an Academic Consultant to “identify which accommodations and services will be necessary for academic success”.
College Choice Score: 85.29
Net Cost: $21,281
Located in Waco, Texas, the Baylor Bears are members of the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference and hold the claim to the 2005 and 2012 women’s basketball national championships. With its close proximity to the bottling company it was at one time a school tradition to feed Dr. Pepper to the school’s bear mascot before football games. The 4-year private university is home to 16,000 enrolled students and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Baylor campus is comprised of 1,000 acres next to the Brazos River and their Armstrong Browning Library was recently recognized by the BBC as one of the “top 5 beautiful libraries in American colleges”. The student body at Baylor is known for its volunteering as the school touts the first campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Established on the campus of Baylor University, the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) “supports the mission of Baylor University and the Paul L. Foster Success Center by creating an encouraging, supportive and caring environment, in which students feel they are accepted and valued as individuals. We achieve this environment by showing compassion, patience, open-mindedness as well as through teaching responsibility.” OALA offers a free testing center for students to schedule and take exams in order to encourage appropriate testing accommodations. In addition to housing, disability shuttle and meal plan accommodations, The OALA offers assistance to students by partnering with the Baylor Counseling Center, Autism Resource Center and offers tuition insurance.
College Choice Score: 84.04
Net Cost: $2,678
Founded in 1837, Marshall Academy was named after 4th Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall. Renamed years later as Marshall University, the 4-year public school currently consists of 13,000 students that have 55 undergraduate and 50 master’s programs to choose from. The active student body is involved in over 230 recognized student organizations and receive over $10,000 in financial aid each on average each year. The nickname for Marshall’s athletic program is the Thundering Herd and is represented by the mascot Marco the Bison. The most-notable claim to fame for Marshall University is 2006’s motion picture We Are Marshall which depicts the inspiring story of the school after the devastating plane crash of 1970 which took the lives of many of its student athletes.
Founded in 1981, Marshall University’s Higher Education for Learning Problems Center (H.E.L.P.) is a fee-based “comprehensive academic support program that has grown from its humble beginnings in a cramped university basement to a thriving, nationally recognized Center of Excellence with its own modern building, Myers Hall”. The H.E.L.P. Center now offers students with disabilities needs-focused and custom-designed systems and resources by working with a team of experts in the fields of ADHD, psychology, counseling and education. Provided programs include tutoring services, academic coaching, a summer prep program and ongoing diagnostics.
University of Indianapolis
College Choice Score: 83.92
Net Cost: $11,542
The student body of 5,000 enrolled at the University of Indianapolis enjoy one of the smallest student to teacher ratios found in most colleges at just 11 to 1. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, UIndy offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs and an average class size of 17 students. The school opened its doors in 1902 and was known as Indiana Central College for most of its existence before being renamed the University of Indianapolis in 1986. From day one the university has been co-ed and accepting of all races.
The Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) on the campus of the University of Indianapolis works in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to ensure equal access and that proper accommodations are being made for students with learning disabilities and special needs. The SSD has set up the Baccalaureate for University of Indianapolis Learning Disabled, or BUILD program in order to help support students with disabilities seeking an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. The BUILD program “provides individualized support specifically for those students with a documented learning disorder. This is a voluntary program and students enrolled in BUILD pay additional fees for BUILD-specific services.”
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
College Choice Score: 83.79
Net Cost: $7,636
One of the most popular aspects of the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater, Wisconsin is the James R. Conner University Center found in the heart of the campus and offering attractions including bowling, an art gallery, coffee shop, live music venue and an assortment of dining options. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, UW-Whitewater offers 47 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs to its 12,000 students. The school is comprised of 1400 faculty and staff, draws students from 40 states and 30 countries and was established in 1868 as Whitewater Normal School. In addition to the UC, The UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve is 110 acres of “various ecosystems such as woodlands, wetlands, and prairie. In addition to serving as an outdoor classroom and laboratory the preserve includes recreational trails for running, hiking, cross-country skiing, or biking.”
Since 1972, the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) “has provided a wide array of accommodations, support services, auxiliary aids and programs for students, staff and all members of the UW-Whitewater community”. The CSD offers an extensive list of programs and resources including student advocacy, interpreting, alternative media and testing, and classroom accommodations. The fee-based Project Assist is an individual and group tutoring program that offers weekday drop-in tutoring and access to the computer lab and study area. Project Assist receives high marks from previous UW students surveyed.
University of Denver
College Choice Score: 83.20
Net Cost: $22,077
The University of Denver is a 4-year private university with an enrollment of 11,800 and a student ratio of 11 to 1. The 125-acre school is located in state capital Denver within a residential neighborhood just minutes from downtown. Established in 1864, many of the school’s buildings date back to the late 1860’s but have since been remodeled for modern convenience and safety. First and second year undergraduate students are required to live on campus but have over 100 student organizations including 17 academic honor societies, 8 fraternities and 9 sororities to choose from. 84% of Denver students receive some form of financial aid while 75% of that support is through scholarships or grants. DU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
The University of Denver offers many services through its Disability Services Program (DSC) at no charge to students with learning disabilities and special needs. The services provided include, but are not limited to testing accommodations in the form of extended times and less-distraction environments, alternate form texts, course substitutions and classroom changes, note takers and aid with the visual and hearing impaired. In addition to the DSC, UD also features the Learning Effectiveness Program (LEP) as a fee-based program that “provides individualized academic support for University of Denver students with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a history of learning differences”. The LEP provides private individualized academic counseling, individual and subject specific tutoring and organization/time management assistance.
University of Arizona
College Choice Score: 83.10
Net Cost: $12,645
Established in 1885 (before Arizona was even a state), the University of Arizona was planted in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. The school’s motto of “Bear Down” is based on the quoted last words to the football team by revered quarterback John “Buttons” Salmon. The 4-year public university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and boasts a student enrollment of 42,000. UA’s Center for Creative Photography, founded by famous photographer Ansel Adams, is the “largest institution in the world devoted to documenting the history of modern North American photography.”
The Disability Resources Center (DRC) at the University of Arizona offers an online Accommodation Request Form followed by contact from a DRC Access consultant who notifies students of what services will best fit their specific needs. An orientation is then scheduled where students can meet DRC staff, learn more about what the DRC offers (such as housing and access accommodations) and begin to create a strategy for communicating with university staff and achieving success in the classroom. Other services the DRC provides are accessible transportation, exam administration, and a unique adaptive fitness center designed for students with special needs.
College Choice Score: 82.96
Net Cost: $15,738
20 miles north of Manhattan lies the campus of Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. Established as a Catholic university in 1940 by the Christian Brothers whose “goal was to open new paths to economic and social advancement for the sons of New York’s working class. They gave their new college the name of Iona, after a small island off the west coast of Scotland where St. Columba founded an abbey in 563.” The 4-year private school of 3,900 students offers undergraduate and master’s degree programs and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Iona College is a NCAA Division I school with a total of 29 varsity teams on campus.
Established in September 1976, the Samuel Rudin Academic Resource Center began after a generous grant was provided through what is now the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation at Iona College. The Center is available to all students who desire to improve their academic performance through support given both one-on-one and in small group formats. Leadership of the Center, including paid staff, graduate assistants and undergraduate student tutors, focus on academic assistance in the core subjects of math, reading, composition and computer science. The Samuel Rudin Academic Resource Center is free to all students and is open six days a week.
College Choice Score: 82.89
Net Cost: $7,049
Over the past 30 years the athletic programs at SUNY Cortland in Cortland, New York have produced 200 conference team champions, 100 individual national crowns and 25 national team titles. First named Cortland Normal School in 1868, the university’s nickname of “Red Dragons” was coined by a team manager in 1933. Today the school is known as being one of the greenest campuses in the country and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. SUNY Cortland is a 4-year public school comprised of a student body of 6,900 where 50% of undergraduate students live on campus.
Maintained under the umbrella of services offered through the Student Development Center at SUNY Cortland, Student Disability Services (SDS) works to encourage an environment of higher learning characterized by students with learning disabilities and special needs feeling both educated and accepted. The goal of SDS is to “ensure equal access to all programs and activities and facilitate the architectural and attitudinal accessibility of the campus environment”. Student Disability Services has made it the priority of its policies and procedures to establish accessibility when it comes to everything from its buildings on campus to its technologies in the classroom. There are free resources made available to the hearing impaired, those with learning disabilities, students with mobility impairments and visual impairments.
College Choice Score: 82.69
Net Cost: $5,958
In 1871, Mother Mary of the Annunciation Beaumont of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland saw the need for an institution of higher learning for women and established Ursuline College; Ohio’s first women’s college and one of the first in the United States. Since that time, Ursuline College has grown into a 4-year private university located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, just 13 miles east of Cleveland. The current student body of 1,200 students enjoy an amazing student to teacher ratio of 6 to 1 and are offered 30 undergrad programs and 10 master’s programs. Although the majority of Ursuline students are female, 9% are male and 27% of all undergraduate students are from minority groups.
Ursuline College has designed a program for students with learning disabilities and special needs called FOCUS. The FOCUS program is a “comprehensive fee-based mentoring and coaching program aimed at helping students with documented disabilities make the successful transition from high school to college and obtain the necessary self-advocacy skills needed to be independent learners”. Students having a diagnosed disability can apply for the FOCUS program which consists of 4 stages of assistance which include weekly meetings with a disability specialist, mid-term progress monitoring, course advisement and priority registration. As a student prepares to transition away from college, the program emphasizes “real world” accommodations and shares what to expect in graduate school settings.
St. Ambrose University
College Choice Score: 82.52
Net Cost: $13,109
Established in 1882, and affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private, Roman Catholic, liberal arts university in Davenport, Iowa. It is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 60 undergraduate majors, 13 master’s, and two doctoral programs. Average class size at St. Ambrose is 20 students, with a student to faculty ratio of 11:1. Of the undergraduate student body, 2,526 students in the fall of 2015, 16.5 percent identify themselves as belonging to a minority group.
The Student Disability Services (SDS) at St. Ambrose offers academic advising for students with disabilities, as well as providing resources for students to obtain alternative exam arrangements, assistive technology – including listening devices, books in alternative formats, note takers, and sign language interpreters. The SDS will also screen and refer students who may have a disability to the appropriate professionals in the area. In addition, SDS helps students develop self-advocacy skills to use with faculty and others on campus when identifying and requesting appropriate accommodations for themselves. The resources available at SDS are offered at no additional cost to students.
Texas Tech University
College Choice Score: 82.21
Net Cost: $5,551
Located in Lubbock, Texas, Texas Tech University, also known as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university. Established in 1910, today TTU is made up of 10 colleges and two professional schools, offering a total of 150 undergraduate, 100 master’s, and 50 doctoral degrees. The student population in the fall of 2015 was 35,893. It is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. In 2013, ten faculty members at Texas Tech were awarded Fulbright grants – the most of any research university in the country.
There are nearly 2,000 students registered for services with TTU’s Student Disability Services (SDS). Services provided by SDS range include assistance in arranging course, classroom, and testing accommodations, campus disability awareness education, Sign Language Interpreter services, drop-in tutoring, and the loaning of some assertive devices. All accommodations are tailored to the specific student. Beyond the services offered at SDS, which are provided at no additional cost to students, the university also has the TECHniques Center, a free-for-service program for students with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders. The TECHniques Center offers one-on-one, regularly scheduled content and study skills tutoring and weekly meetings with an academic counselor.
College Choice Score: 82.15
Net Cost: $17,867
Named after the 17th-century French priest, Saint Vincent de Paul, DePaul University is a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Originally founded by the Vincentians in 1898, today DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the country. As of the fall of 2015 it has a student population of 23,539, spread among four campuses in Chicago. The university is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and offers nearly 300 undergraduate majors and graduate programs across 10 colleges and schools.
The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) works with students diagnosed with a range of disabilities, from AD/HD to chronic illness, to physical and sensory impairments. With the exception a small fee for those students who require weekly clinician services, the CSD services are free for all DePaul students. Services include testing accommodations, note-taking assistance, adaptive equipment and assistive technology, sign language interpreters, advocacy, priority registration, and course selection advising, among others. The CSD also provides for physical access across campus, including in university housing. Services at the CSD are provided at no additional cost to students.
College Choice Score: 81.45
Net Cost: $11,341
Manhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college. Originally located in Manhattan proper when it was founded in 1841, the college moved to Purchase, New York in 1952. The college has 45 undergraduate majors and minors and 75 graduate degrees and advanced certificates. It is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. As of 2015, Manhattanville had a total enrollment, both undergraduate and graduate, of 2,700 students. In the 2014-2015 academic year, Manhattanville students completed over 30,000 hours of community service, both locally and abroad.
Services offered by the Office of Disability Services at Manhattanville includes, but not limited to, testing accommodations, course notes, sign language interpretation, assistive technology, and alternate formats for materials. The services offered by the Office of Disability Services are free to Manhattanville students. In addition, the college offers the Higher Education Learning Program (H.E.L.P.), a fee-based program, serving as a center of support for students with documented learning disabilities. H.E.L.P provides individualized tutoring services by professionals trained to work with students with disabilities and provide three hours of 1:1 tutoring per week.
Texas State University
College Choice Score: 81.13
Net Cost: $6,633
Established in 1899 as the Southwest Texas State Normal School, Texas State University a state university in San Marcos, Texas and the fourth-largest university in the state. Besides its main campus, the university also has a satellite campus in Round Rock, just outside Austin. In 2015 it had an enrollment of 37,979 students. There are 97 bachelor’s, 88 master’s and 12 doctoral degree programs for students to choose from. The university is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. 48 percent of students are ethnic minorities and the school ranks 13th in the country for total bachelor degrees awarded to Hispanic students.
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at Texas University coordinates academic accommodations and support services, promotes independence and self-advocacy, and provides information and referrals for students with disabilities. In addition, it also works to promote disability awareness across the university and helps guide and shape university policy and procedures to ensure the full participation for people with disabilities in all aspects of campus life. The services are free for students and include: testing accommodations, adaptive computer equipment, alternative text/audio books, disability management counseling, volunteer note-takers, and referrals for tutoring.
Missouri State University, Springfield
College Choice Score: 81.00
Net Cost: $5,306
Missouri State University, Springfield is the main campus of the Missouri State University system. Formerly Southwest Missouri State University, the school, founded in 1905 is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The over 24,000 students in the system are able to choose from more than 85 undergraduate majors and and over 45 graduate degree programs. Missouri State has around 300 student organizations and 25 fraternities and sororities. The university has been listed on the President’s Roll for Higher Education Community Service, and students log more than 100,000 hours volunteering through the Campus Volunteer Center.
Through the Disability Resource Center, Missouri State offers a several different resources to help differently-abled students succeed. The Learning Diagnostic Clinic (LDC) works with students with learning or psychological disabilities and offers evaluation services. The Access Technology Center (ATC) provides a range of assistive technology, adaptive computer technology services, and is the location for out-of-class testing. These services are provided at no additional cost. During the 2013-14 school year the Faculty Senate approved a Disability Studies Minor. Students have the option of participating in the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society, which recognizes students with disabilities for their academic accomplishments and encourages leadership and advocacy skills.
College Choice Score: 80.62
Net Cost: $11,015
Established in 1923 as a preparatory and military school, today Schreiner University is a small, private liberal arts institution located in Kerrville, Texas. With a small student population of just over 1,230 students in the fall of 2015, Schreiner offers 26 undergraduate programs, as well as an MBA and master of education programs. It is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Kerrville is in the central Texas resort area, one hour northwest of San Antonio and 90 minutes west of Austin.
In order to help students with learning disabilities success at Schreiner, the university offers a Learning Support Services (LSS) Program. The program generally serves 60-70 students each year, who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, or a specific learning disability in reading, mathematics or written expression. All new students in the program take a freshman seminar, introducing them to the program. Individual tutoring plans are created for each student in the program, and reviewed at the end of each semester. Other resources include note-takers, recorded textbooks, and alternative testing arrangements. There is a fee for participating in the LSS program.
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
College Choice Score: 80.35
Net Cost: $8,851
One of three institutions in the University of Tennessee system, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Established in 1886, today the university has 11,388 undergraduate and graduate students, a of fall 2015, and has been the fastest growing university in Tennessee over the past decade. It offers 45 undergraduate degrees, 20 master’s, and five doctorates. UTC offers more than 120 student organizations, including 17 fraternities and sororities. It is regionally accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The Disability Resource Center at UTC offers a variety of free resources to support students with disabilities, including the disABILITY Ambassador Training Program. This program is a three-hour training program designed to identify the professionals at UTC who understand issues facing people with disabilities and can help provide resources. Established in 2008, Mosaic is a program at UTC developed to support the holistic needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The program is made up of three components: a credit bearing course with a fully established curriculum with a letter grade attached, academic/life coaching, peer/faculty mentoring, and required supervised study hours. A newer, informal addition to the program is a lunch group called Aspergirls, which developed due to a growing number of women in the program. There is a fee for Mosaic.
College Choice Score: 79.50
Net Cost: $14,490
Founded as Western Maryland College in 1867, McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Since its inception, the college has offered entrance to all students, regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity, and was the first coeducational college south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In the fall of 2015, McDaniel enrolled 1,669 full-time undergraduates and 624 full-time master’s students, with an average class size of 16. It is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The college has a satellite campus, McDaniel College Budapest located in Budapest, Hungary.
Student Academic Support Services (SASS) assists all students with documented disabilities and works with each student on a case-by-case basis to implement appropriate accommodations. SASS offers a variety of programs. The Basic program is free and provides access to all approved accommodations, assistive technology, and use of the testing center. Other programs include workshops to help students improve various skill sets, group study sessions with Graduate Assistants, and one-on-one sessions with an Academic Counselor for work on academics, time management, organizational skills, and self-advocacy techniques. SASS also has a five-day early move-in program for first-year and transfer students and organizes a January term study abroad trip.
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan
College Choice Score: 78.39
Net Cost: $9,950
The Metropolitan campus of Fairleigh Dickenson University (FDU) is located in Teaneck, New Jersey, very close to New York City. It is a private university founded in 1942, and the Metropolitan campus is home to FDU’s business, professional, science, and healthcare programs. As of 2015, there are 4,114 undergraduates and 2,350 graduate students. Fairleigh Dickinson University is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Since the early 1990s, the Regional Center for Learning Disabilities has offered structured plans, academic support, and counseling for students with language-based learning disabilities at no additional fee. Freshmen in the program receive up to four support sessions per week, based on their courses. They also enroll in a two-semester Metacognitive Strategies course, which helps students build skills in time management, note-taking, reading comprehension, test preparation, assistive technology, stress reduction, self-advocacy, and career development. Students in the program are provided counseling upon request, given a diagnostic test upon entry to determine appropriate accommodations, provided various forms of assistive technology, and given priority registration. Services are provided at no additional cost to students.
College Choice Score: 78.00
Net Cost: $19,777
Twenty-five miles east of New York City, in Hempstead, Long Island is Hofstra University, a private nonprofit institution established in 1935. Hofstra is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and offers around 140 undergraduate and around 150 graduate programs. There is a student to faculty ratio of 14:1. In the fall of 2015 total student enrollment, undergraduate and graduate, was 10,870. The university offers over 200 student clubs, 28 of which are local/national fraternities and sororities. The Hofstra University Museum on campus is nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Student Access Services (SAS) at Hofstra works to arrange accommodations and help students with disabilities develop the skills to be self-advocates and is free to Hofstra students. In addition to the services offered by SAS, such as housing accommodations, testing labs, and assistive technology, there are two fee-based programs for students registered with SAS. Program for Academic Learning Skills (PALS) assists students with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD. Students apply for the PALS program at the time of admission to Hofstra. The second program is the Academic Coaching Program which provides short-term program to help students develop study skills. It provides one-on-one meetings with one of the SAS’ learning specialists on topics such as social adjustments to college, time management, text reading and analysis strategies, and learning style awareness.
College Choice Score: 77.34
Net Cost: $16,634
Adelphi University is a private university located in Garden City, New York, originally founded in 1863 as a preparatory school in Brooklyn. In 1929, Adelphi was the first private, co-educational higher education institution on Long Island. The school has an average class size of 19.4 students and a student to faculty ratio of 10:1. As of the fall of 2015, 5,071 undergraduate students were enrolled in over 50 programs of study. Adelphi is regionally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition to the Garden City campus, it also has Centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County, New York.
Disability Services at Adelphi offers free academic and physical accommodations and adjustments for students with disabilities, including accessible classrooms and parking, assistive technology, extended-time and reduced-distraction testing environments, sign language interpreters, and housing accommodations. The Writing Center is available for all students at all levels with writing assignments and the Learning Center provides skills workshops and subject specific tutoring. For students on the autism spectrum, the Social Training Center and Bridges to Adelphi program exist to help make the transition to university smoother.
Nicholls State University
College Choice Score: 75.68
Net Cost: $5,694
Founded in 1948, Nicholls State University is one of the schools in the University of Louisiana system, and is a public institution. It is named after Francis Redding Tillou Nicholls, a two-term Louisiana governor and Louisiana Supreme Court chief justice. Nicholls State is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and as of the fall of 2015 enrolled 6,164 undergraduate and graduate students. The university is located in Thibodaux, in south central Louisiana, the heart of the Mississippi River delta.
The Office of Disability Services at Nicholls State provides educational accommodations, information on university and outside resources and advocacy, and mediation for students with disabilities. The Office works with students on a case-by-case basis for a variety of classroom accommodations, including preferential seating, reader/writers for tests, assistive technology, extended test time, and volunteer notetakers. In addition to the services provided by the Office of Disability Services, Nicholls State is home to the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders provides tutoring and study help to students who have dyslexia. The Center provides students with a coordinator to assist them academic planning, accommodations for classrooms and testing, assistive technology, and remediation. There is a fee for the program.
Southern Oregon University
College Choice Score: 75.60
Net Cost: $9,926
Located in Ashland, Oregon, Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts college. It was founded in 1926 and is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. As of the fall of 2015, 3,581 full-time and 1,825 part-time students were enrolled at SOU. The student to faculty ratio is 21:1 and the university offers 31 majors and 100 programs. Ashland is home to the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), and many OSF actors, directors, and designers as guest artists and adjunct faculty work with SOU’s Theater Arts, which is one of the university’s most popular programs.
Disability Resources at SOU provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities through a variety of services including: testing accommodations, notetaking services, alternative textbook formats, assistive technology, special classroom seating, and Sign Language interpreters/captioning. University Coaching and Academic Mentoring (U-CAM) is an inclusive learning environment which provides “comprehensive support for students with executive function challenges (such as organization, planning, follow-through, and prioritization), learning disabilities, or ADD.” It is a fee-for-service program which is in addition to a student’s disability accommodations.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
College Choice Score: 75.35
Net Cost: $10,338
Southern Illinois University is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. It is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, and was founded in 1869 as the state’s second teachers college. Total fall 2014 enrollment was 17,989 students, 13,461 of which were undergraduates. It is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It has a student to faculty ratio of 15:1 and offers 84 undergraduate majors. The SIU mascot is the Saluki, a dog known for its speed and hunting skills in ancient Egypt, which is a nickname for the southern part of Illinois, due to the area not being hit by a severe drought in the early 1800s which affected the rest of the state.
Disability Support Services at SIU include note takers and lab assistants, testing accommodations, accessible course materials, tutorial referrals, advocacy and counseling, and housing assessments. In addition to these services, DSS has a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) for loan, interpreting and speech to text typists, and a Case Coordinator who is fluent in ASL for those students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For students with visual impairments, DSS offers route familiarization training for new students and various equipment loans, such as talking calculators and electronic note taking systems with GPS. A fee-for-service program, Achieve Program, is available for student with learning disabilities. Students with mobility impairments can be approved for accessible van transport and personal assistants through the Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living.
Davis & Elkins College
College Choice Score: 74.07
Net Cost: $10,406
Davis & Elkins College, also known as D&E, was named for Henry G. Davis and his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins, United States Senators responsible for bringing the first railroad to the area. To this day the school’s athletic teams are the Senators. D&E is a liberal arts college established in 1904 in Elkins, West Virginia. The college offers over 30 majors and pre-professional programs and has a student faculty ratio of 13:1. It is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. D&E is quite small, with 846 students enrolled in 2015.
Established in 1989, the Supported Learning Program providing individualized support to students with documented learning disabilities. It is a fee-based program, admitting a limited number of students each year. It offers weekly meetings with a Supported Learning program instructor, five hours of supervised study hall, a one-credit study skills class for incoming students, and help in implementing effective time management skills, among other services. There are also weekly group meetings for students with ADHD, ADD, and Executive Function challenges. The Naylor Center provides accommodations for students with disabilities who are not enrolled in the Supported Learning Program.
College Choice Score: 74.01
Net Cost: $10,903
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926, Mercyhurst University is a Catholic liberal arts institution. Originally Mercyhurst College, the school was granted university status in 2012. Today there are more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students in over 50 undergraduate majors and eight graduate programs. The average class size is 20. Mercyhurst is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The first man to graduate Mercyhurst College was Daniel Burke, who is today part of the university’s art faculty.
The Learning Differences Program was begun in 1986, seven years before the Americans with Disabilities Act. It offers two levels of services for students with learning, physical and/or sensory disabilities. The first level is free and provides students with testing accommodations, assistive technology, and peer tutors. The second level provides additional academic support for students who need a bit more structure. This level is fee-based. First year Level 2 students are able to participate in the Summer PASS Program, allowing students to move onto campus three weeks early and earn three college credits while developing academic skills and abilities. Mercyhurst is also home to the Autism Initiative, a pioneering program after which many other colleges and universities are modeling their own initiatives.
University of Akron
College Choice Score: 73.87
Net Cost: $8,739
Part of the University System of Ohio, the University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. As of the fall of 2015, over 25,000 students were enrolled in more than 300 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate and law degree programs. It was founded in 1870 as Buchtel College and is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. UA is a leader in polymer research and is home to the world’s largest polymer academic program.
The Office of Accessibility offers accommodations and a supportive, well-resourced environment to students with disabilities at the University of Akron. Some of the services offered include adaptive technology, alternative media formats, classroom accommodations, priority registration, testing accommodations, and Sign Language interpreters and transcribers. The Office of Accessibility will also help students with disability-related housing accommodations. In addition, the office offers a web-based Student Testing and Accommodation Request System (STARS) to help manage the requesting of accommodation letters, testing, note taking, alternative media and equipment electronically. These services are provided at no extra cost to students.
College Choice Score: 72.07
Net Cost: $11,620
Formerly the Vanderbilt’s estate, Dowling College is a private college in Long Island, New York. It was founded as an expansion of Adelphi University in 1955 and was Suffolk County’s first four-year college. In 1968 it became an independent institution and is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. As of 2015 there are 2,453 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students with an average class size of 13. Dowling has over 30 clubs and organizations and 13 Honor Societies.
The Hausman Center provides a variety of services for students with disabilities. These services include extended test time, readers for the visually impaired, proctored exams, scribes for tests, interpreters for the hearing impaired, and priority registration. In addition to the center, the college also offers the Academic Access Program for students with disabilities, which is an individualized fee-for-service academic support program for students with disabilities. The Center, as well as the rest of campus is readily accessible to students with physical disabilities and handicapped accessible apartments are available at the Dowling College Residence Hall on the Rudolph Campus in Oakdale and the Residential Village at the Brookhaven Center.
College Choice Score: 71.55
Net Cost: $10,759
With campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois, Roosevelt University is a private university. It was founded in 1945 and named after the then recently-deceased President Franklin Roosevelt. Today the school offers 116 degree programs across six colleges. It is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. As of 2015 there were 3,793 undergraduate students at Roosevelt University with an average class size of 11. Their mascot is Fala, named after Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier.
The Academic Success Center at Roosevelt offers several programs to assist students with disabilities. The Learning and Support Services Program (LSSP), established in 1981 helps support students with disabilities through an emphasis on planning, tutoring, counseling and modified test taking accommodations. The Disability Services program serves all students with special needs, and is both voluntary and confidential. It provides students with accommodations, including extended time when taking tests, tests in a separate room, use of a tape recorder in class, use of a calculator for tests / assignments, use of a scribe for tests / assignments, note-taker, and the use of a word processor for tests / assignments. Both of these programs are provided at no extra cost to students.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
College Choice Score: 71.30
Net Cost: $3,719
One of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1857 as the Edinboro Academy, a private training school for Pennsylvania teachers. The university offers 135 Bachelor’s degree programs, 16 graduate programs, 10 Associate’s degree programs, and 10 certificates. Fall 2015 enrollment was 5,247 undergraduate and 1,303 graduate students with a student to faculty ratio of 18:1. It is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland.
Through the Office of Students with Disabilities, students can access a wide variety of services, at no extra charge. These include classroom accommodations, such as audio recorded lectures, notetakers, alternate format textbooks and handouts; testing accommodations, such as extended test time, reader, scribe, computer, or alternate formats; and other accommodations like academic and meal aides, tactile laboratory and services, and van transportation. Edinboro University has expanded universal design of the physical environment in most of its recent renovation and construction projects. For those students with personal needs, the Office of Students with Disabilities has an Attendant Care Service, which is coordinated by a team which includes a program nurse, occupational therapist, social worker, and a student affairs professional.
Marymount Manhattan College
College Choice Score: 71.02
Net Cost: $16,290
Originally founded in 1936 as a two-year women’s college by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) was independently chartered in 1961. Today it is is a co-educational, independent, private college located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Fall 2015 full-time enrollment was 1711 students with a student to faculty ratio of 11:1. There are 25 majors offered. MMC is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Disability Services provides support for students with learning, physical, and psychological disabilities. Services include examination modifications, permission to tape-record lectures or use laptop computers to take class notes. requests for student note takers for classes, the use of a SMART Pen to take notes in class, the use of Kurzweil reading station in MMC Library, and wheelchair access. These services are offered at no extra cost. The Academic Access Program is a fee-based program for students at MMC diagnosed with dyslexia, primary learning disability, or AD/HD. Support services through the program include two hours per week of tutoring and skill building with a professional learning specialist, academic counseling, priority registration, support technology, testing accommodations, and monthly parent meetings.
College Choice Score: 70.22
Net Cost: $19,800
Originally the School of Elocution and Expression, Curry College, founded in 1879 is a private liberal arts college in Milton, Massachusetts. There are approximately 2,100 undergraduates, over 300 graduate students, 1,400 continuing education students at Curry with a student to faculty ratio of 11:1. The college has 22 undergraduate majors and more than 60 minors and concentrations. Nearly 75 percent of undergraduates live in on-campus housing. Curry offers more than 35 student clubs and organizations. It is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) provides academically focused assistance to students with specific language-based learning disabilities, executive function disorders, and/or AD/HD. Students in PAL constitute about 20 percent of each entering class at Curry. Students work with a PAL faculty member to develop strategies around reading comprehension, written language, speaking, listening, organization, and time management. Students meet each week with a PAL professor in a combination of individual and/or small group classes. First-year PAL students may choose to participate in one of Curry’s First Year Learning/Living Communities groups (LLC), or a PAL Cohort. PAL is a fee-based program.
College Choice Score: 70.14
Net Cost: $12,127
Beginning in 1867 as coeducational preparatory school, Centenary College is a private liberal arts college in Hackettstown, New Jersey. It offers 49 bachelor degree programs, as well as associate’s degrees in the liberal arts, master’s degree in business, healthcare administration, education, counseling, and leadership and public administration. The student to faculty ratio is 17:1. It is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. As of 2015 there were over 1,500 undergraduate students at Centenary College. Hackettstown is set in the Kittatinny Mountains is fifty miles from New York City.
The Disability Services Office (DSO) provides a full range of accommodations and support services to students with disabilities. Support services include disability counseling and advising, advocacy, faculty consultation and training, alternative or electronic text, sign language interpreters, closed captioning, note-takers, testing accommodations, special topic seminars, and adaptive technologies. The services at DSO are provided at no extra charge to students. The office also offers two programs, Project ABLE and STEP Ahead, specifically designed to support students with mild emotional and learning disabilities. ProjectABLE is a fee-based program.
College Choice Score: 69.95
Net Cost: $13,247
A nonprofit, private institution in Franklin, Massachusetts, Dean College offering 21 majors for associate’s degrees and 11 majors for bachelor’s degrees. The college, founded in 1865, is home to around thousand full time students and close to 300 part time students in 2015. In the fall of 2015, Dean’s incoming freshman class was 530 students, one of the largest in the past 25 years. It is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. It has an average class size of 20.
Dean offers learning support and services to with disabilities through the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS). These include coaching and tutoring, assistive technology, and student advising. To support students with diagnosed learning disabilities such as ADD, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing, executive functioning disorder, and nonverbal learning issues. Dean offers the Arch Learning Community. Students in the program are offered individual and group-academic coaching, smaller-size college courses, specialized academic advising, and a weekly seminar. Students can choose to be a part of the community for one to four years. It is a fee-based program.