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Last Updated on July 4, 2020 by Editorial Team

Hunt for the college that fully suits your interest is arguably the most difficult part of the college application process. There’s so much information to go through—how could brief campus visits and informational brochures really tell you where you’ll be most successful?

It’s even harder for students with a learning disability like dyscalculia. Not just applying but they may have a particularly difficult time keeping up with the demands of their coursework. You want to make sure there are programs in place to help you be the best you can be no matter where you go to school.

Fortunately, As a result of Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (To correct the problem of discrimination against people with mental or physical disabilities), 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 like dyscalculia.

We searched far and wide for colleges in the U.S. that provide special academic support programs for students with learning disabilities, specially Dyscalculia. We have done a careful review of each program, assigning points to each school based on how closely its services address the needs of students with dyscalculia and prepared a list for the top 8 colleges for students with dyscalculia for applying 2020.

8. The University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a public research university in Tucson, AZ. Founded in 1885, UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. Today the school gets more than $604 million annually in research funding. Its counted among the prestigious institutions of the USA. The University of Arizona began the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) center in 1980 for students with learning disabilities mostly dyslexia and dyscalculia. The SALT Center offers comprehensive academic support services to students who learn differently, including weekly meetings with a Strategic Learning Specialist, content-specific tutoring, and educational technology. Special attention is given under this program that includes a 30-minute appointment with a Strategic Learning Specialist every week. In order to help students achieve academic success, peer tutors introduce them to a wide variety of methods, demonstrating how to use the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic strategies to begin, develop, and refine their work. The goal of each session is to create an optimal learning environment that facilitates independent and lifelong learning. As of today, more than 550 students of the university utilize the services under this program.

7. Westminster College

Westminster College is a private liberal arts college established in 1851. Westminster Fulton MO is home to the famous National Churchill Museum. Some prominent figures included in the college’s International Lecture Series are Ronald Reagan, Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Polish President Lech Walesa. Established back in 1970, Learning Differences Program (LDP) of Westminster College continues to provide the encouragement and support that students diagnosed with learning disabilities like dyscalculia. As of today, 5% of Westminster College students are currently enrolled under this program.

The LDP’s services are tailored to meet the specific needs of students with professionally diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Learning Disorder, and Disorder of Written Expression. Special academic advising, test time extension, audio and dictating resources, an appointment with special strategist staff are some of the services included in the Learning Differences Program.

6. Marshall University

Marshall University is a public institution that was founded in 1837. It is located in the center of Huntington, a long-time railway hub, and West Virginia’s second-largest city after Charleston. Situated on the Ohio River, Huntington is just 10 miles from the state’s western border with Kentucky and 150 miles southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. Marshall University launched H.E.L.P. Center 35 years ago to assist students with dyscalculia, dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities. It was founded by Dr. Barbara Guyer, a nationally recognized specialist in the fields of education, learning disabilities, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D). H.E.L.P proved to be highly successful in providing academic assistance and support to a wide variety of learners. Currently, there are seven unique divisions and programs under H.E.L.P and each program is administered and developed by coordinators who work closely with a team of experts in the fields of education, learning disabilities, A.D.H.D., psychology, and counseling to offer the ideal services for their respective programs.

5. East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University is a public institution that was founded in 1911. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,323, its setting is a city, and the campus size is 366 acres. Notable alumni of East Tennessee State University include country music star Kenny Chesney and Michelle Livengood, former senior vice president of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. ETSU’s learning support program caters to the wide range of academic needs of students with learning disabilities including dyscalculia, dyslexia, and ADHD. Through the use of structured classrooms providing additional instruction, the Learning Support Program offers students support with essential skills in Mathematics, English (writing components), and reading comprehension. A team of dedicated advisors, faculty, and staff for addressing students’ issues are provided under this program. They work to enhance student’s essential skills in math, writing and reading.

4. Guilford College – Accessibility Resource Center

Guilford College is a liberal arts school in Greensboro, NC. It was founded in 1837 as a Quaker boarding school but later turned into a four-year college in the 1880s. Guilford’s speaker series is slated to host David Axelrod, Karl Rove, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Among its more than 50 clubs are a yoga club, a Quidditch team, and a chapter of Amnesty International. Guilford has 23 NCAA Division III teams. Guilford College is also widely known for its Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) which serves the purpose of equal access and opportunity to all students in all programs and services. It aims to empower students to become strong self-advocates. Students with dyscalculia, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities are provided with adaptive technology software to support reading, writing, and study skills. Other accommodations under this program include extra time in-class assignments, a supportive and motivating environment, resources, and tools like recording devices for assistance. Students can come up to ARC staff anytime to address individual needs.

3. King’s College

King’s College is one of eight American colleges founded in 1946 by the Holy Cross congregation, a group of Catholic priests, brothers, and nuns. Located in downtown Wilkes-Barre, PA, it is now a liberal arts school offering 40 majors including several pre-professional programs. King’s College provides yet another high-quality option for individuals looking for a learning disabilities college program that emphasizes support in the first year of study. Appropriately called the “First-Year Academic Studies Program” (FASP), this initiative’s primary goal is to help smooth the transition to college life for freshmen students.

The program is divided into two-level tiers. Tier 1 offers the most comprehensive program for students who need intensive academic support. Students will meet three times per week with a learning specialist to foster the development of meta-cognitive skills, independence, and to strengthen self-confidence and self-sufficiency. Tier 2, on the other hand, offers less involved and less direct support services. Students meet with a learning specialist up to 20 sessions per semester to review overall progress, note improvements, and needs, and discuss available resources. This tier is designed for students who are ready to take control of their educational goals and manage daily tasks, but who may need periodic support and encouragement.

2. West Virginia Wesleyan College

West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private institution that was founded in 1890. Wesleyan was the only West Virginia school listed among 200 colleges and universities across the country in Forbes “Grateful Grads 2018—200 Colleges with the Happiest, Most Successful Alumni. Wesleyan alumni hold leadership positions in a variety of fields and recent accolades include winners of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, an Emmy award, Dove Music Award, and GRAMMY award nomination.

West Virginia Wesleyan College established The Learning Center (TLC) for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention disorders, and other special needs. Programs under TLC are specifically designed to serve a broad scope of student needs, ranging from the individually structured assistance, accommodations, and services of our foundational program to our specialized, concentrated support systems.

The following programming selections can stand alone or be combined to fit your needs:

Foundational Program

Mentor Advantage Program

Day-Time and Evening Check-In

Lindamood-Bell® Learning Techniques

Services for all students on campus

The Learning Center seeks to stay current with research in the disciplines of cognitive psychology and special education to implement best practices.

1. University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private institution that was founded in 1880. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 19,170, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 226 acres. There are more than 700 registered clubs and organizations on campus. Alumni include Administrator of NASA Charles Bolden, film pioneer George Lucas, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, television producer Shonda Rhimes, and architect Frank Gehry.

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 stress on meeting the unique needs of students based on their specific disabilities.