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Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region

2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region

80 Colleges
$43,541 Avg Salary
$26,703 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

Special Education is the #29 most popular major in the country with 36,792 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 80 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Special Education Colleges.

Top 15% Best Special Education Schools

#1

Dakota State University

Madison, SD

Our analysis found Dakota State University to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the distant town of Madison, Dakota State is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Dakota State take out is $31,000.

Full Special Education at Dakota State University Report

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Minnesota State University - Mankato is a great place for special education students. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Mankato.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Minnesota State Mankato take out is $27,000.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.

On average, special ed graduates from Winona State take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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The excellent programs at Northern State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the remote town of Aberdeen, NSU is a public college with a small student population.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Minot State University is a great place for special education students. MSU is a small public school located in the town of Minot.

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#6

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD

Augustana University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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With a ranking of #7, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

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#8

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA

With a ranking of #8, Northwestern College did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the town of Orange City, NWC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#9

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN

Hamline University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#10

Midland University

Fremont, NE

Midland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Midland U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Fremont.

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, special ed graduates from UNL carry an average student debtload of $25,625. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $337, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Special Education at University of Nebraska - Lincoln Report

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#12

Martin Luther College

New Ulm, MN

With a ranking of #12, Martin Luther College did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the town of New Ulm, MLC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Special Education students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Special Education Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
13 Chadron State College Chadron, NE
14 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
15 Hastings College Hastings, NE
16 University of Mary Bismarck, ND

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 539
Minnesota 846
Kansas 444
Iowa 180
Nebraska 362
North Dakota 186
South Dakota 94

One of 14 majors within the area of study, special education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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