2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Ranked #8 in popularity,
special education is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
College Factual reviewed 35 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of special education. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,639 master's degrees in special education during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of special education for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to special education students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of special education students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt special education students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized special education related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for special education students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in the Plains States Region
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.
10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Master's in Special Ed
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in special education has to look into University of St Thomas Minnesota. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Those special education students who get their master's degree from University of St Thomas Minnesota earn $5,323 more than the average special ed grad.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of St Thomas Minnesota
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in special education. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, special ed master's recipients usually earn around $53,829 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
It's hard to beat University of North Dakota if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. Located in the city of Grand Forks, UND is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn an average of $53,957 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a master’s in special education from University of North Dakota
Saint Cloud State University is a great option for students interested in a master's degree in special education. St. Cloud State University is a large public university located in the city of Saint Cloud.
Special Education master's degree recipients from Saint Cloud State University get an earnings boost of approximately $2,503 over the average income of special education graduates.
More information about a master’s in special education from Saint Cloud State University
Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a large student population.
Those special education students who get their master's degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato make $2,875 more than the standard special ed student.
More information about a master’s in special education from Minnesota State University - Mankato
