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Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

20 Colleges
$49,862 Avg Salary
$22,246 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education Graduate Certificate School for You

With 36,792 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, special education is the #4 most popular major in the United States.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for teaching students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Teaching Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 20 schools in the Plains States Region to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for teaching 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 Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for special ed majors pursuing a graduate certificate.

Top 10 Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools

Our analysis found Minnesota State University - Mankato to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the Plains States Region . Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Mankato.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Winona.

Full Special Education at Winona State University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. MSU is a small public school located in the town of Minot.

Read full report on Special Education at Minot State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Special Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their Graduate Certificate, special ed graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debtload of $21,104.

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#5

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

Out of the 20 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a very large student population.

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#6

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN

With a ranking of #6, Hamline University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#7

Midland University

Fremont, NE

Midland University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. Midland U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Fremont.

Full Special Education at Midland University Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#9

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

University of North Dakota landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate special education programs. UND is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks.

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With a ranking of #10, Concordia University, Nebraska did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the town of Seward, Concordia University, Nebraska is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Special Education at Concordia University, Nebraska

Best Special Education Colleges by State

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

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

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

Special Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 24,497
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,111
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,789
Elementary Special Education 1,625
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,133
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 655
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 540
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 504
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 415
Education of the Deaf 363
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 226
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed 222
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 181
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 134
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 122
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments 47
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries 1

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 20 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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