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2024 Best Special Education Schools in Missouri

19 Colleges in Missouri
551 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$37,776 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #29 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 19 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Schools in Missouri ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 551 degrees in special education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Special Education School

Best Special Education Schools in Missouri Your choice of special education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for special education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Special Education Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Special Education Schools in Missouri list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Special Education in Missouri

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the special ed degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Missouri Schools in Special Ed

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$40,093 Median Starting Salary

University of Missouri - Columbia is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in special education. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 colleges 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. Those special education students who get their degree from University of Missouri - Columbia receive $2,317 more than the typical special ed student.

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

2
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MO
33 Special Ed Degrees Awarded

Webster University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Webster is a great university overall.

There were about 33 special education students who graduated with this degree at Webster in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in special education from Webster University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$36,250 Median Starting Salary

Missouri State University - Springfield is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in special education. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #427 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Missouri State is a great university overall.

There were about 62 special education students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $36,250 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Missouri State University - Springfield

4
Fontbonne University crest
Fontbonne University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$38,164 Median Starting Salary

Fontbonne University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in special education. Fontbonne University is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 26th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 31 special education students who graduated with this degree at Fontbonne University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, special ed degree recipients usually make about $38,164 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Fontbonne University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
37.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #727 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwest is a great university overall.

There were roughly 117 special education students who graduated with this degree at Northwest in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, special ed degree recipients usually make around $37,405 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in special education from Northwest Missouri State University

6
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In MO

SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #244 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SLU is a great university overall.

There were about 6 special education students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Saint Louis University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In MO
$31,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, MBU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 25th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 17 special education students who graduated with this degree at MBU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in special education from Missouri Baptist University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,146 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

UCM is a large public university located in the distant town of Warrensburg. This university ranks 21st out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 28 special education students who graduated with this degree at UCM in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $33,146.

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

9
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Lindenwood University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Charles. A Best Colleges rank of #651 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lindenwood University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 41 special education students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from Lindenwood University earn $6,654 more than the average special ed graduate.

More information about a degree in special education from Lindenwood University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$33,648 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 27th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 52 special education students who graduated with this degree at Southeast Missouri State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $33,648.

More information about a degree in special education from Southeast Missouri State University


 

Best Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

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

View All Rankings >

Special Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 327
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 128
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 29
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 29
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 16
Education of the Deaf 8
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 8
Other Special Education & Teaching 4
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 2

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 2,664
Educational Administration 1,509
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,200
Curriculum & Instruction 526
Student Counseling 495
General Education 493
Instructional Media Design 208
Teaching English or French 158
Other Education 91
Educational Assessment 73

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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