Think College is home to the only directory of college programs for students with intellectual disability in the United States. To ensure College Search remains a reliable resource for students exploring postsecondary options, we ask college and university programs to review and update their information each year. Programs receive a personalized survey link and can make updates across all categories. The annual update concluded at the beginning of March.
This year, 82% of programs submitted updates, up from the 70% updated last year. A big thank you to the program staff who took the time to fill out the survey and share the most current information! To see when a listing was last updated, look for the last updated date under their program description. We love seeing all the listings reflecting 2025. While we reach out to programs annually to request updates, they can make updates anytime during the year by just reaching out to us.
In reviewing the updated information, we noticed some trends.
The number of programs available continues to grow.
After the update in 2024, there were 333 programs in our directory and we now are sharing information on 360 programs. New programs had been added to the college search directory throughout the year, while five programs were removed. When all was said and done, there was a net gain of 27 programs available to students with intellectual disability.
The map illustrates exactly where the changes occurred around the country. Look for the green numbers to see where a state has added one or more programs. Red numbers share if a state has decreased the number of options they had last year, and black numbers indicate that the number of programs is the same this year as last year.
More programs are offering credentials approved by their institution.
We collect information on the various credentials and certifications students can earn through these programs, and more programs reported offering a program credential of some kind, and close to 60% of those credentials were formally approved by the college or university where the program is located.
Think College’s program directory is the most frequently visited resource on our website and provides an invaluable service to students looking for the best postsecondary program option for themselves. And you can help make College Search even better! We rely on information from our broader community about programs in their area—whether you're a program staff member, family member, state or regional alliance leader, transition professional, or someone else connected to this work. If you know of a new program, one that has closed, or any other updates, please let us know at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu . Like many things, maintaining a reliable directory takes a village!
To learn more about the college programs in our directory, visit College Search!