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Most Popular Special Education Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Most Popular Special Education Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

10 Colleges
$15,697 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education Associate Degree 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Teaching Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Special Education Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 10 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for teaching students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Special Education program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Special Education Associate Degree Colleges.

#1

Mesabi Range College

Virginia, MN

Our analysis found Mesabi Range College to be the most popular school for special education students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Virginia, Mesabi Range College is a public college with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, MN

Out of the 10 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Normandale Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Normandale Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Bloomington.

Of the 5 students majoring in special ed at Normandale Community College, 20% are male and 80% are female.

Full Special Education at Normandale Community College Report

#3

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

The in-demand associate degree programs at Inver Hills Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular special education schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.

Read full report on Special Education at Inver Hills Community College

#3

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

The in-demand associate degree programs at Ridgewater College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular special education schools in the Plains States Region . Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the remote town of Willmar.

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#3

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Century College is a great place for special education students working on their associate degree. Century College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of White Bear Lake.

Read full report on Special Education at Century College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minneapolis Community and Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Special Education Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

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Out of the 10 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Anoka-Ramsey Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Coon Rapids, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Special Education at Anoka-Ramsey Community College Report

Out of the 10 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, St Cloud Technical and Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. St Cloud Technical and Community College is a small public school located in the small city of Saint Cloud.

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#3

Sinte Gleska University

Mission, SD

The in-demand associate degree programs at Sinte Gleska University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular special education schools in the Plains States Region . Sinte Gleska University is a small public school located in the rural area of Mission.

Read More…

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

Full Special Education at Minot State University Report

Best Special Education Colleges by State

Explore the best special education schools 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 10 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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