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Best Value Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$10,460 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$49,761 Avg Salary

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

In 2020-2021, special education students earned 180 degrees and certificates from an Iowa school, making the subject the 6th in the state.

There are so many teaching programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Teaching Degree Search has created its Best Value Special Education Master's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 9 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value master's degree 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 Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa

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

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality for a Master's in Special Education

#1

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern College the best value school in Iowa for special education students working on their master’s degree. NWC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orange City.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at NWC are $6,360 per year.

NWC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

Read More…

#2

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Morningside College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City.

Morningside graduate students pay an average of $6,516 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Morningside College

#3

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Buena Vista University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at BVU are $9,936 per year.

BVU not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

Full Special Education at Buena Vista University Report

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great value for special education students working on their master’s degree. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UNI are $10,569 a year.

UNI also took the #4 spot in our Best Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa rankings.

Read More…

#5

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Mercy University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cedar Rapids.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Mount Mercy are $11,176 a year.

Full Special Education at Mount Mercy University Report

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa 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 graduate student at Iowa are $12,065 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Iowa

Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for special education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Iowa State are $11,404 a year.

Full Special Education at Iowa State University Report

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value 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.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Graceland Lamoni are $11,187 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Graceland University - Lamoni

#9

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA

Upper Iowa University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at UIU are $19,685 per year.

Full Special Education at Upper Iowa University Report

Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

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

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

Special Ed Concentrations

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 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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