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Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa

9 Colleges
$49,761 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education Master's Degree School for You

With 151 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, special education is the #18 most popular major in Iowa.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 9 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for special ed majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top Iowa Schools for a Master's in Special Education

#1

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA

Our analysis found Northwestern College to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Iowa. NWC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orange City.

Full Special Education at Northwestern College Report

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

Full Special Education at University of Northern Iowa Report

#3

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Buena Vista University landed the # 3 spot on the list. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake.

Read full report on Special Education at Buena Vista University

#4

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA

The excellent master’s degree programs at Morningside College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Iowa. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City.

Full Special Education at Morningside College Report

#5

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the # 5 spot on the list. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.

Read More…

#6

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA

Mount Mercy University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree special education programs. Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

Read full report on Special Education at Mount Mercy University

With a ranking of #7, Iowa State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Special Education at Iowa State University

#8

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA

Upper Iowa University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote area of Fayette.

Read full report on Special Education at Upper Iowa University

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree special education programs. Located in the rural area of Lamoni, Graceland Lamoni is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Special Education at Graceland University - Lamoni Report

Best Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 358
Minnesota 679
Kansas 441
Nebraska 155
North Dakota 161
South Dakota 11

Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 45,458
Teacher Education Grade Specific 34,451
General Education 21,189
Teacher Education Subject Specific 20,616
Curriculum & Instruction 19,784

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 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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