This study compared the subjective and school-related happiness of 75 11- to 16-year-old special education students to 77 age- and gender-matched mainstream students using two quantitative measures. Additionally, the respondents chose from a list of 12 putative happy makers what they felt increased their happiness. Ten special education students also described their opinions on happiness qualitatively. In both quantitative measures, the special education students reported lower happiness than did their counterparts. Girls reported lower happiness than did boys in subjective happiness. Both educational groups valued money, success in school and leisure time. The most frequent choice of special education students was to have more friends. This paper discusses reasons for the relative unhappiness of special education children. (Contains 5 tables.)