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2025 Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region

43 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,740 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$52,862 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.

College Factual reviewed 43 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of special education. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,740 degrees in special education annually.

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.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Special Ed

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$53,748 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 78 special education students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $53,748 for their early career.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
20.0% Growth in Graduates

University of St Thomas Minnesota is a great choice for students interested in a degree in special education. UST MN is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #106 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were about 115 special education students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent data year. Those special education students who get their degree from University of St Thomas Minnesota make $5,950 more than the average special ed graduate.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

Winona State University is one of the best 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 moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #330 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Winona State is a great university overall.

There were about 42 special education students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, special ed degree recipients typically earn an average of $46,697 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$51,476 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Minnesota State University - Mankato if you want to pursue a degree in special education. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato. A Best Colleges rank of #412 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were roughly 165 special education students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career earnings of $51,476.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$53,957 Median Starting Salary

UND is a fairly large public university located in the city of Grand Forks. A Best Colleges rank of #335 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UND is a great university overall.

There were about 122 special education students who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $53,957 for their early career.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,256 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 33rd out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 63 special education students who graduated with this degree at St. Cloud State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $48,256 for their early career.

More information about a degree in special education from Saint Cloud State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In ND
37 Special Ed Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Minot, MSU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 8th out of 12 schools for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.

There were roughly 37 special education students who graduated with this degree at MSU in the most recent data year.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$48,505 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 56 special education students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make around $48,505 in the first couple years of working.

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

9
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$58,196 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 #192 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 117 special education students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Special Education degree recipients from University of Kansas earn a boost of approximately $5,334 over the typical income of special education graduates.

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

10
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
23.3% Growth in Graduates

Morningside is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Sioux City. This college ranks 10th out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 133 special education students who graduated with this degree at Morningside in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the special education program at Morningside College earn $2,898 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in special education from Morningside College

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools 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 1,984
Other Special Education & Teaching 216
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 117
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 106
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 95
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 53
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 40
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 32
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 28
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 24

View All Special Ed Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 10,585
Teacher Education Subject Specific 5,052
Educational Administration 4,789
General Education 3,338
Curriculum & Instruction 2,140
Student Counseling 1,833
Instructional Media Design 606
Other Education 538
Teaching English or French 529
Educational Assessment 174

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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