Best Online Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities 2025

Almost a quarter of undergraduate college students, including many veterans, report a disability that may be overcome with assistance, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. These disabilities could be invisible, resulting from brain injuries or genetic issues. However, others may be invisible to others, such as students who must work through dyslexia or ADHD.

The good news is that learning disabilities do not prevent someone from earning a college degree. Many colleges focus on accommodating these students to help them be successful. The online colleges listed here prioritize adaptive services and inclusionary programs.

Top Online Colleges for People With Learning Disabilities

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires colleges to create equal access through accommodations by dismantling barriers to learning or giving students tools to overcome them. New technologies for online learning provide an additional boost to accessibility, which results in easily accessible degrees for students with a learning disorder.

Those advancements make colleges for students with ADHD, genetic issues, handicaps, mental health disorders, and nonverbal learning disabilities easier to find. Below, we list the top colleges for students with learning disabilities and provide information about how they accommodate those students.

1. University of Washington

The University of Washington in Seattle, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has around 2,800 temporarily and permanently disabled students who have access to specialized financial aid programs, clubs, and internships, making it one of the best colleges for adults with learning disabilities. These resources are called Do-It programs.

Scholarships include one for students with hydrocephalus and another for autistic students studying art. Separately, the disability resources office provides accommodations like extra time on tests and appeals for reduced class loads.

Two Bachelor of Arts degrees can be earned online, in early care and education and integrated social sciences, allowing flexible scheduling and full- or part-time tracks. Tuition is $442 per credit hour for the online degree program.

2. University of Minnesota

Nearly 40,000 students attend the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It has dozens of online undergraduate programs, from a Bachelor of Science in information technology management to a Bachelor of Arts in tribal administration and government. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the university, which charges $448 per credit hour for online undergraduate degree programs.

It's one of the best online colleges for students with mental health disorders. Prioritizing accessibility permeates school culture through the Disabled Students Cultural Center and Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. The Disability Resource Center is a touchstone for student accommodations for classes or physical access. After registering, students may request things like longer test times or adaptive technology. Each student is assigned an accessibility consultant to navigate the process.

3. California State University, Northridge

Near Los Angeles, California State University, Northridge has one online undergraduate program, a Bachelor of Arts in public sector management. To optimize classroom or online experiences for students, the Office of Disability Resources and Educational Services provides specialized accommodations and scholarships for registered students, such as closed captioned videos and distraction-free test environments.

Additionally, non-academic programming is geared to the disabled student's seniority, making it one of the better colleges for students with learning disabilities. That means freshmen get special help transitioning from high school, managing workloads, and establishing connections with faculty and staff. Sophomores and juniors further self-advocacy, advancement strategies, and developing long-term goals. The WASC Senior College and University Commission accredits the university, where undergraduates pay about $1,764 tuition for up to six credits per semester.

4. Arizona State University

Each student registered with Arizona State University's (ASU) Office of Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services is assigned an accessibility consultant who evaluates their needs and designs accommodations. Support services can include a volunteer note-taker, use of specific assistive technology in class, support animals, and reading test questions aloud. The Lifelong Inclusive Framework in Education provides mentors, career coaching, and specific assistance to neurodivergent students.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ASU offers over 180 undergraduate bachelor's degrees and certificate programs online, which makes earning a degree possible for students with a learning disorder. Closed captioning, enhanced graphics, headings, links, lists, and related quizzes provide additional tools to online students with disabilities. Tuition is about $3,444 per semester for in-state students enrolled in an online degree program.

5. Northwestern College

At Northwestern College, in Orange City, IA, new students with learning disabilities are individually assessed for adaptive or accessible services and technologies like recorded lectures, speech-to-text technology, and allowances for testing time. It is a private, Christian school that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education..

The two-year NEXT program helps 18-to-24-year-olds with intellectual or developmental disabilities transition from high school to college or careers. Tuition for NEXT is about $11,100 per year. The Iowa Department of Education accredits the college's self-paced, online bachelor's in early childhood education, which costs $360 per credit hour.

6. Drexel University

Specialized student services at Drexel University in Philadelphia include the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (CAN). This fee-based program specifically aids students with executive functioning issues. Its goal for students is for them to develop skills for careers and independent living, including self-advocacy.

Drexel's Office of Disability Resources provides accessibility accommodations to all registered students once they provide medical documentation. The university, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, offers dozens of accredited online bachelor's degrees, from computing and security technology to business administration, which cost $985 per credit hour.

7. University of Utah

Fully online undergraduate degrees in sociology, tourism, economics, and more are available through the University of Utah in Salt Lake City at about $520 per credit hour for tuition. The university is accredited by the Association of American Universities.

Students with special education needs are welcomed by the Student Services' Center for Disability and Access, which examines students' needs for accommodations. Individual adjustments range from extended testing time to flexible attendance to substituting alternative classes for required curriculum. Students who demonstrate a particular need may also be considered full-time even when taking a lighter load of classes.

8. Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University offers online programs for bachelor's degrees in more than 30 disciplines and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Among the degree-conferring online education programs are a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership with tuition at $282 per credit hour. While online programs inherently provide flexibility, the college personalizes physical needs and virtual educational experiences alike.

Arkansas State's Access and Accommodation Services can assign note takers, provide advanced registration, send an interpreter to class, and offer assistive technology. Students must register with the service and attend a one-on-one intake and information session before services can be ordered.

9. Oregon State University

Crop and soil science and zoology are among dozens of online bachelor's degrees offered by Oregon State University in Corvallis. Tuition is $366 per quarter hour of credit. This robust selection of flexible opportunities is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

The office of Disability Access Services (DAS) coordinates accommodations for learning or physical access. Students with temporary injuries or lifelong learning disabilities register for access to the DAS website to request accommodations like closed captioning on remote classes. An additional informal arm of the university's services, the Adaptive Technology Engineering Network, is one of dozens of student clubs and organizations that welcomes all interested students regardless of major.

10. Texas State University

Located in San Marcos and Round Rock, Texas State University is a public institution with multiple online undergraduate degree programs. Students can choose from three bachelor's degrees in education and four in mass communications, for which tuition is $404 per credit hour. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, TSU was founded more than 100 years ago.

Disability Services registers and accommodates students with learning disabilities and physical limitations. It assigns interpreters and note-takers, and arranges early class registration.

What To Look for in an Online College for Students With Learning Disabilities

There's more to specialized student services than compliance with ADA law. Some colleges develop a culture of support, evident in the breadth of services provided. Be sure to keep the following factors in mind when looking for colleges for students with learning disabilities.

Comprehensive Disability Services Office

Disability services is the go-to office for students' accessibility needs, but it can also provide mentorships, individual counseling, scholarships, and a gateway to inclusion. It's the starting point for disabled students exploring their new surroundings.

Flexible Learning Formats

Student services advocates for different learning styles, working with professors to provide developmentally disabled and ADHD students options for interpreters, in-class note takers, recorded classes, or remote attendance when necessary. Colleges that provide these services prioritize the needs of students.

Assistive Technology Support

Devices that enhance educational material for an impaired or disabled student include screen readers, voice-to-text software, Braille readers, alternative keyboards, and other listening systems. Colleges may loan devices to students or demonstrate new helpful technologies.

Academic Support

The ADA was designed to level the playing field for learners with disabilities. Academic support in the form of interpreters, extra time on tests, having test questions read aloud, or an alternative classroom environment are tools that colleges may use to comply with the law, making colleges accessible for students with learning disabilities.

Accessible Course Materials

A variety of effective approaches to accommodations is key. Accessible course materials may involve audio recordings of handouts rather than printed versions, large print, or digital rather than paper copies of documents.

Accessibility Services

An office dedicated to assisting those with learning differences is providing accessibility services. These services vary from one college to another but involve adapting the physical space, learning materials, technology, or coursework to provide an equal opportunity to disabled students.

Strong Student Support Network

A college's disability services office is usually the home base for all activities and student support. Colleges that have developed a strong support network have a wide range of services as well as student clubs, social opportunities, and help developing long-term goals.

What Are the Best Degrees for Students With Learning Disabilities?

College is a period of self-discovery. Learning-disabled students should leverage school resources and specialized counseling to determine their strengths and explore potential career paths. Review the resources on Learn.org for more suggestions. However, below we provide a few suggestions for degrees that students with certain learning disabilities tend to excel at.

• Graphic design: Flexible, self-directed programs like graphic design fit the skills of students who need frequent breaks or have short attention spans.
• Occupational therapy: Brain injured individuals may pursue occupational therapy as their experience can inform effective treatment for others.
• Music and computer science: Reading issues like dyslexia or dysgraphia may make music or computer science majors more appealing as they have lower requirements for traditional reading and writing.
• Medical technician and civil engineering: Those with ADHD or executive functioning issues can thrive in fast-moving, structured environments such as medical technician, civil engineer, or hospitality fields.
• Hospitality, education, and social work: Hospitality, early childhood education, and social work majors often fit the skills of those with developmental disabilities. These careers are flexible and there is a personal aspect to the workplace environment.