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Deciding to go to college and choosing a school are major decisions for any young adult and their family. Asperger Syndrome and like conditions can bring additional considerations into the decision, but those considerations will likely be very different for each individual.
Some may do best in a structured program for students with special needs, or even in a non-degree program that prepares students for living independently - either as an intermediate step before going on to college, or in place of an associate's or bachelor's degree. Other students can thrive in more traditional college campus settings, with less support. All schools in the U.S. are required by law to make "reasonable accommodations" for students with documented disabilities, and this guide is not meant to discourage anyone from applying to any school because they are on the Autism Spectrum. The fact that a school has not yet (knowingly) worked with this population very much does not necessarily mean that it would not be a good match for any given student, or that it should be automatically ruled out.
However, if a school ends up failing to provide appropriate accommodations - or even if they make a sincere effort, but lack the experience to make it work - the student is unfortunately the one who will suffer the most. That is why a school's experience with this population, and the services they currently offer, may need to be taken into account, despite AspFI's firm belief that supports to insure the inclusion, retention, and success of students on the Autism Spectrum can and should be implemented at every college.
We hope that this guide will help students and families with the important decisions that lie ahead when thinking about college. You can browse through this directory of two-year colleges; four-year colleges and universities; and nondegree programs designed to give transition-age individuals experience living independently in preparation for (or in conjunction with) college or working. Click on a particular school to read the information that AspFI has been able to obtain about its services and programs for students with Asperger Syndrome and similar conditions.
Four-Year Colleges and Universities*
Arizona
Arizona State University
University of Arizona
Arkansas
Harding University
California
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
California State University, San Bernardino
San Francisco State University
Santa Clara University
University of San Francisco
Connecticut
Trinity College
Florida
University of Central Florida
Florida Atlantic University
Georgia
Brenau University
Georgia State University
Reinhardt College
Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
Indiana
Anderson University
Iowa
Iowa State University
Loras College
St. Ambrose University
University of Iowa
Massachusetts
Boston College
Michigan
Finlandia University
University of Michigan
Minnesota
Augsburg College
Missouri
Westminster College
Montana
Montana State University - Billings
Montana State University - Bozeman
Nebraska
Union College
New York
Bryant-Stratton College
Iona College
New York University
Rochester Institute of Technology
St Bonaventure University
St. Lawrence University
State University of New York - Delhi
North Carolina
Appalachian State University
Brevard College
Ohio
Wright State University
Pennsylvania
College Misericordia
Dickinson College
East Stroudsburg University
Mercyhurst College
Penn State Mont Alto
Rhode Island
Johnson and Wales University
South Carolina
Limestone College
Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State University
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Texas
Abilene Christian University
Southern Methodist University
University of Houston
Vermont
New England Culinary Institute
Norwich University
Virginia
Old Dominion University
West Virginia
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Two Year Colleges
Alaska
University of Alaska Southeast - Ketchikan Campus
Arizona
Phoenix College
Pima Community College
California
Allan Hancock College
Contra Costa Community College
Glendale Community College
Mesa College
Saddleback College
Colorado
Front Range Community College
Pikes Peak Community College
Connecticut
Middlesex Community College
Florida
Hillsborough Community College
Okaloosa-Walton College
Hawaii
Hawaii Community College
Illinois
Harper College
Lewis and Clark Community College
Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College
Iowa
Des Moines Area Community College
Muscatine Community College
Massachusetts
Mount Wachusett Community College
Michigan
Kellogg Community College
Schoolcraft College
Southwestern Michigan College
Missouri
Ranken Technical College
Minnesota
Alexandria Technical College
Nevada
Truckee Meadows Community College
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Community Technical College at Nashua
New York
Sullivan County Community College
North Carolina
Mayland Community College
North Dakota
North Dakota State College of Science
Williston State College
Pennsylvania
Bucks County Community College
Johnson College
Texas
Austin Community College
Blinn College
Kingwood Community College
St Philip's College
Tarrant County College
Vermont
Landmark College
Virginia
Virginia Western Community College
Washington
Green River College
Wenatchee Valley College
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin College
Wyoming
Laramie County Community College
Specialized Independent Living Programs
Allen Institute - Center for Innovative Learning
Connecticut
College Internship Program
Massachusetts, Florida, and Indiana
College Living Experience
Florida, Colorado, and Texas
The Horizons School
Alabama
New York Institute of Technology - Vocational Independence Program
New York
Threshold Program at Lesley University
Massachusetts
This resource guide is an ongoing project, so we will continue to add profiles of schools as their staff respond to our requests for participation in the survey. If you are an administrator who works with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders at these or any other institutions of post-secondary education, please contact AspFI with any corrections or additions at .
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*Some general disability and campus information statistics excerpted from:
Kravets, M., Wax, I.F., and the Princeton Review (2005). The K&W guide to colleges for students with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorder, 8th Edition. New York: Random House.
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