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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in the Plains States Region

63 Ranked Colleges
1,639 Degrees Awarded
$46,221 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 35,973 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In , special education graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $45,680 and had an average of $27,516 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,740 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,541 and $24,943 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,639 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,858 and $37,352 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 63 colleges that offered a degree in special education. That schools that top this list have a program in special education in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in the Plains States Region

1
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, Iowa

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Morningside College landed the #1 spot on the list. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux City, Iowa. It awarded 119 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Morningside

2
Drury University crest
Drury University
Springfield, Missouri

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Drury University landed the #2 spot on the list. Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 about Special Education at Drury University

3
Fontbonne University crest
Fontbonne University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fontbonne University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 16 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Fontbonne University Special Education Report

4

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Missouri State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwest Missouri State University Special Education Report

5
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

Out of the 63 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 110 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Special Education Report

6

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a small school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 45 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

7

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 49 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Special Education Report

8
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Bethel University Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Special Education at Bethel University Minnesota

9

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 113 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UST MN Special Education Report

10

Fort Hays State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 125 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 about Special Education at FHSU

11

Emporia State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. ESU is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 56 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Emporia State University

12
Baker crest
Baker University
Baldwin City, Kansas

With a ranking of #12, Baker University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Baker University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baldwin City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baker University Special Education Report

13

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Nebraska at Kearney is located in Kearney, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 46 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at UNK

14
NWC crest
Northwestern College
Orange City, Iowa

Northwestern College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Orange City, Iowa, and it awarded 21 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at NWC

15
WSC crest
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Wayne State College is a public institution located in Wayne, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Wayne State College

16

Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 37 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Pittsburg State University

17
BVU crest
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Storm Lake, Iowa, and it awarded 21 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Buena Vista University Special Education Report

18
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 24 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bemidji State University Special Education Report

19
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Charles, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lindenwood University Special Education Report

20
Friends University crest
Friends University
Wichita, Kansas

Friends University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Wichita, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Friends University

21

Concordia University, Saint Paul ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Concordia University, Saint Paul Special Education Report

22
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Mary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bismarck, North Dakota. It awarded 12 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Mary Special Education Report

23
SC crest
Southwestern College
Winfield, Kansas

With a ranking of #23, Southwestern College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. SC is a small school located in Winfield, Kansas that handed out 3 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at SC

24

With a ranking of #24, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 56 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Minnesota State University - Mankato

25
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Special Ed Major in the Plains States Region ranking. MSU is a small school located in Minot, North Dakota that handed out 14 masters’s special ed degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at MSU

Notes and References

References

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