2023 Best Special Education Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
9
Ranked Colleges
180
Degrees Awarded
$29,400
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Special Education is the 29th most popular major in the country with 36,792 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,679 and had an average of $24,977 in loans still to pay off.
Across Iowa, there were 180 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,893 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree in special education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent special education programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the special education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed”.
Top 9 Best Special Education Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 8 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 30,318 students enrolled at Iowa were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 3 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State, 814 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,933. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa State]](/colleges/iowa-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dordt University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Dordt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,662 students enrolled at Dordt, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,218. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Dordt]](/colleges/dordt-college/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 9,507 students enrolled at University of Northern Iowa, 251 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,033. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Northern Iowa does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full University of Northern Iowa Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Upper Iowa University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed list. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 3,610 students enrolled at UIU were GI Bill® students, of which 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,399. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Buena Vista University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed ranking. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BVU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,863 students enrolled at BVU, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,992. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
[Read full report on veteran student life at BVU]](/colleges/buena-vista-university/student-life/veterans/)
Morningside College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed list. Morningside College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Morningside also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,411 students enrolled at Morningside, 51 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,284. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Morningside offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 3 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Graceland Lamoni not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,517 students enrolled at Graceland Lamoni, 17 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,416. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Graceland Lamoni]](/colleges/graceland-university-lamoni/student-life/veterans/)
Northwestern College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Special Ed ranking. NWC is a small school located in Orange City, Iowa that handed out 9 ’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Northwestern College supports 1,496 students, and 26 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 15 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,260. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NWC]](/colleges/northwestern-college-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
college factual
