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2025 Best Special Education Schools in Missouri

11 Colleges in Missouri
500 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$52,862 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.

College Factual looked at 11 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Special Education Schools in Missouri ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 500 degrees in special education to qualified students.

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
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$38,250 Median Starting Salary

Missouri State University - Springfield is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in special education. Located in the midsize city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #575 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Missouri State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 60 special education students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $38,250 in their early career salary.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
38.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Missouri - Columbia is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in special education. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 68 special education students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the special ed program report average early career wages of $43,595.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$41,415 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Northwest Missouri State University if you wish to pursue a degree in special education. Located in the remote town of Maryville, Northwest is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 83 special education students who graduated with this degree at Northwest in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn around $41,415 for their early career.

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

4
Fontbonne University crest
Fontbonne University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$45,057 Median Starting Salary

Fontbonne University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in special education. Fontbonne University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 27th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 26 special education students who graduated with this degree at Fontbonne University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, special ed degree recipients usually earn about $45,057 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in special education from Fontbonne University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 65 special education students who graduated with this degree at Southeast Missouri State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, special ed degree recipients typically earn about $39,219 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$36,365 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 27 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 income of $36,365.

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

7
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$51,322 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #273 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Webster is a great university overall.

There were about 31 special education students who graduated with this degree at Webster in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $51,322 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in special education from Webster University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$52,488 Median Starting Salary

UMSL is a large public university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #632 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMSL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 22 special education students who graduated with this degree at UMSL in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program make an average of $52,488 in the first couple years of working.

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

9
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Special Ed Degrees Awarded
$47,206 Median Starting Salary

Lindenwood University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Charles. A Best Colleges rank of #654 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lindenwood University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 36 special education students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, special ed degree recipients typically earn an average of $47,206 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in special education from Lindenwood University

10
Drury University crest
Drury University
Springfield, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$41,393 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, Drury University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 35th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 22 special education students who graduated with this degree at Drury University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the special ed program earn about $41,393 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in special education from Drury 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
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 314
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 98
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 23
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 22
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 15
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 14
Education of the Deaf 10
Other Special Education & Teaching 2
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 1
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 1

View All Special Ed Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 2,591
Educational Administration 1,704
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,251
General Education 542
Curriculum & Instruction 501
Student Counseling 498
Instructional Media Design 170
Teaching English or French 145
Other Education 93
Educational Assessment 88

View All Special Ed Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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