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2024 Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region

76 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,681 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$43,541 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in special education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #29 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 76 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,681 degrees in special education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region The special ed program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Special Education rankings. We derive our Best Overall Special Education School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Special Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Special Ed
Bachelor's Degrees in Special Ed
Master's Degrees in Special Ed
Doctor's Degrees in Special Ed

The special ed school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Special Education in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the special ed degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

11 Top Plains States Region Schools in Special Ed

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
30.4% Growth in Graduates

University of St Thomas Minnesota is a good decision for students interested in a degree in special education. UST MN is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 special education students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from University of St Thomas Minnesota get an earnings boost of about $5,940 over the average income of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from University of St Thomas Minnesota

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,055 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 84 special education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Special Education degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of around $4,514 above the average income of special education graduates.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,438 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in special education has to take a look at University of North Dakota. UND is a large public university located in the small city of Grand Forks. A Best Colleges rank of #218 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UND is a great university overall.

There were about 130 special education students who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from University of North Dakota receive an earnings boost of about $4,897 above the typical income of special education majors.

More information about a degree in special education from University of North Dakota

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,623 Median Starting Salary

Winona State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 38 special education students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, special ed degree recipients typically make around $41,623 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Winona State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
224 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
53.1% Growth in Graduates

Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato. A Best Colleges rank of #351 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were approximately 224 special education students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education degree program at Minnesota State University - Mankato earn $2,997 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in special education from Minnesota State University - Mankato

6
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$51,893 Median Starting Salary

Morningside is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Sioux City. This college ranks 9th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 102 special education students who graduated with this degree at Morningside in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education major at Morningside College get $8,352 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in special education from Morningside College

7
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In SD
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Sioux Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #363 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Augustana Sioux Falls is a great university overall.

There were approximately 9 special education students who graduated with this degree at Augustana Sioux Falls in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Augustana University

8
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,138 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 145 special education students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from University of Kansas receive $4,597 more than the average special ed grad.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Kansas

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In ND

MSU is a small public university located in the town of Minot. This university ranks 6th out of 12 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.

There were roughly 28 special education students who graduated with this degree at MSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Minot State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,473 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 60 special education students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $41,473.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,093 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 42 special education students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, special ed degree recipients generally earn an average of $40,093 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from University of Missouri - Columbia


 

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
12 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
13 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
14 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
15 Concordia University, Nebraska Seward, NE
16 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
17 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
18 Hastings College Hastings, NE
19 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 631
Missouri 283 492
Kansas 266 396
Iowa 264 180
Nebraska 238 338
North Dakota 210 181
South Dakota 204 94

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, Special Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Special Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 1,923
Other Special Education & Teaching 149
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 145
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 116
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 102
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 55
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 54
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 51
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 33
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 19

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 10,661
Educational Administration 4,912
Teacher Education Subject Specific 4,892
General Education 3,291
Curriculum & Instruction 2,606
Student Counseling 1,806
Instructional Media Design 650
Other Education 585
Teaching English or French 577
Educational Assessment 174

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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