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Best Master's in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Education Programs by Degrees Awarded

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the number of master's degrees awarded each year, the most established programs. The top 3 out of 3 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Morningside University

    Sioux City, IAPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 24Master's/yr
    • $62,270Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education (Instructional Strategist II: Behavioral Disorders/Learning Disabilities)
    • Online
    About the program

    Morningside University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education with an Instructional Strategist II endorsement in Behavioral Disorders and Learning Disabilities, delivered fully online. The design speaks clearly to its audience, working classroom teachers who want to extend their credentials without leaving their positions, and the coursework culminates in an action-research project applied directly to the student's own classroom. That practical anchoring, paired with alignment to Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and Council for Exceptional Children standards, keeps the program grounded in the daily realities of special education practice. Completion leads to the Iowa Instructional Strategist II endorsement for behavioral disorders and learning disabilities, and the credits apply toward the full degree. Morningside University holds accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. The result reads as a career-building path for teachers deepening their expertise while staying in the field. As a master's degree in emotional and behavioral disorders education, it adds to the master's-level emotional and behavioral disorders education options in Iowa.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 24 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, where elementary teachers earn a median $62,270, roughly $72,027 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    Concordia University-Saint Paul

    Saint Paul, MNPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 8Master's/yr
    • $79,730Metro teacher pay
    • Special Education with an Emphasis in Emotional Behavioral Disorders (MA)
    • Higher Learning Commission-accredited
    • Online
    About the program

    Concordia University-Saint Paul offers a Master of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis in Emotional Behavioral Disorders, built specifically for practicing Minnesota teachers rather than newcomers to the classroom. Admission requires a valid Minnesota Tier 3 or Tier 4 teaching license, and the 33-credit track moves candidates toward a Minnesota EBD teaching endorsement, with a leaner 27-credit licensure-only option for those who do not need the full degree. Instruction follows a cohort model that blends weekly synchronous audio-videoconferencing with asynchronous discussion boards, so a working teacher can keep pace alongside peers while balancing a job. An applied EBD practicum and a capstone research project connect theory to real students with emotional and behavioral needs. Concordia University-Saint Paul is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It reads as a focused, licensure-driven step for Minnesota educators specializing in one of the field's most demanding areas. As a master's degree in emotional and behavioral disorders education, it adds to the master's-level emotional and behavioral disorders education options in Minnesota.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  3. 3

    University of St Thomas

    Saint Paul, MNPrivate nonprofit

    • 4Master's/yr
    • $79,730Metro teacher pay
    • MA in Teaching Special Education – Emotional Behavioral Disorders (Initial or Additional Licensure)
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of St. Thomas offers an MA in Teaching Special Education with a focus on Emotional Behavioral Disorders, one of five special education licensure areas the school prepares teachers to enter. The program flexes to meet candidates where they are, offering a 50-credit Initial License pathway for those new to teaching and a shorter Additional License route of 30 or more credits for educators layering EBD onto an existing career. Courses run face-to-face, hybrid, and hyflex across campus and metro locations, and a required student teaching and seminar experience plus an EBD Summer Institute keep working educators close to real classrooms. Graduates earn a Minnesota EBD teaching license serving students from kindergarten through age 21. The program is a Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation program. Its structure suits both entering teachers and veterans broadening their reach. This program offers a master's degree in emotional and behavioral disorders education in Minnesota.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site

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