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2025 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa

4 Colleges in Iowa
195 Master's Degrees
$57,383 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #8 in popularity, special education is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 195 master's degrees in special education during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Special Education School for Your Master's Degree

Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa The special ed master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality special ed program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for special education students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Special Ed Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Special Education in Iowa

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in special education.

Top Iowa Schools for a Master's in Special Ed

1
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA

It is hard to beat Morningside College if you wish to pursue a master's degree in special education. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Sioux City.

Master's students who receive their degree from the special ed program make about $55,760 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in special education from Morningside College

2
NWC crest
Northwestern College
Orange City, IA
21 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Northwestern College if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. NWC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Orange City.More information about a master’s in special education from Northwestern College

3
BVU crest
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA
21 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Buena Vista University if you want to pursue a master's degree in special education. BVU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the remote town of Storm Lake.More information about a master’s in special education from Buena Vista University

4

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in special education has to take a look at Upper Iowa University. UIU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Fayette.

Students who graduate with their master's from the special ed program state that they receive average early career income of $55,800.

More information about a master’s in special education from Upper Iowa University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 193 302
Minnesota 174 464
Kansas 149 383
Nebraska 123 131
North Dakota 115 156
South Dakota 89 11

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 133
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 12
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 10
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 9
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 8
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 7
Elementary Special Education 7
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 5
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 354
General Education 179
Student Counseling 136
Teacher Education Grade Specific 131
Curriculum & Instruction 118
Teacher Education Subject Specific 98
Teaching English or French 38
Other Education 26
Educational Assessment 11
Instructional Media Design 10

Notes and References

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