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Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$24,945 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$51,893 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education 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 Value Special Education Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 9 schools in Iowa 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.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for special ed majors pursuing a .

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Special Education

#1

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA
$33,590 Average Tuition & Fees

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

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWC are $33,590 per year.

NWC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Special Education Schools in Iowa list.

Full Special Education at Northwestern College Report

#2

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA
$35,270 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Morningside College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Morningside are $35,270 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Morningside College

#3

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA
$37,518 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Buena Vista University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Iowa. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Storm Lake.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BVU are $37,518 per year.

Full Special Education at Buena Vista University Report

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA
$9,053 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa list. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

UNI undergraduate students pay an average of $9,053 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at University of Northern Iowa Report

#5

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA
$36,540 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Mercy University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa list. Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

Mount Mercy undergraduate students pay an average of $36,540 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Special Education at Mount Mercy University Report

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
$9,942 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Iowa did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa are $9,942 a year.

Iowa not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Special Education Schools in Iowa list.

Read More…

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Iowa State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

$31,920 Average Tuition & Fees

Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the remote area of Lamoni, Graceland Lamoni is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Graceland Lamoni are $31,920 a year.

Full Special Education at Graceland University - Lamoni Report

#9

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA
$33,609 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Upper Iowa University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote area of Fayette.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIU are $33,609 per year.

Read More…

Best 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
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.

  • 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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