15 Best Value Colleges For Dyslexic Students

West Virginia Wesleyan College's Learning Center provides such a vast panoply of support services that it would be impossible to enumerate them all in such a short space. Of course some of them - such as the Mentoring Advantage Program and Assistive Technology Lab - have much in common with other top dyslexia college programs. But perhaps the most compelling of WVWC's support services is its incorporation of Lindamood-Bell learning techniques. For more than two decades, students at WVWC have been able to take advantage of special classes utilizing this tried-and-true approach to improving verbal expression and reading comprehension. This strategy - combined with the university's many other top-notch resources - makes WVWC an exceptional resource for college students with dyslexia.

Founded all the way back in 1980, The University of Arizona's Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center has long since earned its reputation as one of the best dyslexia college programs in the country, if not the world. Over the years, the SALT Center has developed a number of innovative approaches to non-traditional learning, not least of which is its use of individualized learning plans (ILPs). Combining tutoring, writing support, and academic coaching/planning, ILPs pair SALT Center members with Strategic Learning Specialists who construct an entire support model around their individual needs.

Like the SALT Center, Curry College's Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) is one of the leading support programs for undergraduates with learning disabilities. In fact, PAL is so widely regarded that nearly 20% of every incoming class enrolls in the program! But unlike SALT (and most other competing programs), PAL actually features its own curriculum, which introduces enrolled undergraduates to a number of innovative learning strategies. PAL is also notable for its ample and affordable scholarships for dyslexia, which are available on a merit- as well as need-based basis.

Like many other top colleges for dyslexics, Limestone offers a robust, fee-based support program that is designed to meet the diverse needs of students with many different learning disabilities. But despite the ambitious breadth of the school's Program for Alternative Learning Styles (PALS), it still manages to target a number of issues that plague dyslexics specifically. These include writing workshops, supervised study halls, and a one-credit course on study strategies, among other services. Qualifying undergrads even receive supplementary academic advising (with a focus on individual learning needs) and personal test proctors. It's no wonder the program boasts such a remarkable success rate; nearly 90% of participants have a GPA of 2.0 or higher!

Southern Methodist University's Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center is home to extensive academic and professional resources, most of which are available to any students who present need. But for those diagnosed with dyslexia (or another specific learning disability), SMU ups the ante. From academic coaching and educational planning to peer mentoring and subject-specific tutoring, SMU goes above and beyond to galvanize success among dyslexic students. But what truly distinguishes SMU as a top college for dyslexics is its targeted HDEV 1110 course. Titled "Reading and Learning Strategies for Students with LD/ADHD," this class helps course members understand their unique learning style while improving their reading rate/comprehension.

Among the best colleges for dyslexic students, Westminster provides a range of support services and accommodations that few can match. To be sure, individualized academic advising - like many other schools - comprises the core of Westminster's Learning Differences Program (LDP). But most of the similarities end there. Students in LDP also participate in regular goal-setting and progress-monitoring meetings with professional advisors, who double as student-faculty liaisons and can provide referrals for a host of supplementary support services. These additional resources are far too numerous to list in their entirety but include an Academic Survival Skills Workshop, courses with alternative delivery methods, audio books, and extended test time.

Schreiner University's affordable dyslexia college program offers some of the most diverse and exhaustive learning support services on this list. The standard offerings - academic advising, individualized tutoring, and note-taking services, to name a few - are just the beginning of the resources available to qualifying students. In fact, those enrolled in the Learning Support Services (LSS) program are also eligible for personalized study skills development, alternative testing options, and even recorded textbooks. As an additional perk, Schreiner holds a formal dinner once a year in recognition of the achievements of top students in the LSS program.

Like most colleges, Mount St. Joseph University offers a number of accommodations for learning disabled students completely free of charge. But it is the school's fee-based disability services program, dubbed Project EXCEL, which truly earns MSJU its top spot on this list. Considering it also has one of the lowest net costs of all the schools on our ranking, MSJU - and Project EXCEL by extension - is virtually second to none among high value, affordable dyslexia college programs. From scheduled tutoring in every subject to professional academic coaching on a weekly basis, Project EXCEL works individually with each program member to ensure that those with dyslexia and/or other related disabilities don't fall through the cracks.

Thanks to the College H.E.L.P. Program, Marshall University now ranks among the best colleges for dyslexic students. H.E.L.P.'s resources, which span academic, social, and psychological aid, are specifically designed to assist with learning disorders like ADHD and dyslexia. The Skills Development Program, for example, goes beyond academic tutoring to help qualifying undergrads develop confidence in the areas they need it most. For individuals with dyslexia, these sessions often focus on reading (rate and fluency, decoding and encoding, etc.) and writing (mechanics, grammar, structure, etc.) instruction. In addition, H.E.L.P. can provide note taking training, scribes for test taking, and exam preparation/coaching to ensure students are equipped with the strategies they need to succeed in the classroom.

Unlike many of the other schools on this list, Nicholls State University actually offers a dedicated dyslexia college program - in addition to all its other general disability support services! Housed within the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders, this program provides personal advising, testing accommodations, assistive technology, and more to undergrads with a variety of learning challenges. But the center's list of dyslexia-specific accommodations is even more considerable, ranging from preferential classroom seating and peer note takers to extended assignment deadlines and supplementary review. Dyslexic students can also request just about any course content on tape, including lectures, textbooks, assignments, and homework solutions.