2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Missouri
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Special Education School for You
Special Education is the #35 most popular major in Missouri with 539 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Special Education Schools in Missouri ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best value programs for special ed students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Special Education Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies the best value school in Missouri for special education students. Located in the distant town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
CMU CGES undergraduate students pay an average of $6,720 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northwest Missouri State University is a great value for special education students. Located in the remote town of Maryville, Northwest is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwest are $8,852 per year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Northwest take out is $26,250.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Missouri State University - Springfield is a great value for special education students. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Missouri State are $8,294 a year. After completing their degree, special ed graduates from Missouri State carry an average student debtload of $22,500.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Missouri list. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a very large student population.
Mizzou undergraduate students pay an average of $11,475 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, special ed graduates from Mizzou carry an average student debtload of $20,357.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Mizzou is ranked #2 for overall quality for special ed in Missouri.
Read full report on Special Education at University of Missouri - Columbia
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southeast Missouri State University is a great value for special education students. Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southeast Missouri State University are $8,715 a year. Special Ed majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out an average of $26,226 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #6, Truman State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Located in the remote town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Truman State are $8,689 per year.
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Lindenwood University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Lindenwood University are $18,640 a year.
Full Special Education at Lindenwood University Report
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Missouri Western State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri Western are $7,930 per year.
Full Special Education at Missouri Western State University Report
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University of Central Missouri came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Missouri ranking. UCM is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCM are $9,078 per year. After completing their degree, special ed graduates from UCM carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Special Education at University of Central Missouri Report
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With a ranking of #10, Drury University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. Drury University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Springfield.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Drury University are $32,130 a year.
Request InformationBest Value Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 846 |
| Kansas | 444 |
| Iowa | 180 |
| Nebraska | 362 |
| North Dakota | 186 |
| South Dakota | 94 |
More Special Education Rankings in Missouri
Special Education Related Majors for Special Ed
Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Special Ed
| 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 21 schools only.
- 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.