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Communication Sciences & Disorders

Types of Degrees Communication Sciences & Disorders Majors Are Earning

Those studying Communication Sciences & Disorders may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	53
Associate’s Degree	21
Bachelor’s Degree	4,806
Master’s Degree	2,143
Doctor’s Degree	74

What Communication Sciences & Disorders Majors Need to Know

Studies in Communication Sciences & Disorders develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Communication Sciences & Disorders emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Communication Sciences & Disorders program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Communication Sciences & Disorders careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Communication Sciences & Disorders professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates include:

• Infant Care Teacher
• Health Teacher
• Physiology Teacher
• Nutrition Educator
• Toxicology Teacher
• Dental Laboratory Technology Teacher
• Medical Aides Teacher
• Dental Assistant Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Dietitian Teacher
• A&P Instructor (Anatomy and Physiology Instructor)
• Urology Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Otolaryngology Teacher
• Health Diagnostics Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.3%
Master’s degree	32.8%
Post-doctoral training	11.0%
Bachelor’s degree	6.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 95.5% of Communication Sciences & Disorders degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,777	95.5%
Men	320	4.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,365	61.5%
Asian	387	5.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,614	22.7%
Black or African American	218	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	227	3.2%
Race Unknown	160	2.3%
International Students	97	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Communication Sciences & Disorders Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$53,106
4 years	$57,878
5 years	$63,177

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,177 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Communication Sciences & Disorders Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Communication Sciences & Disorders. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	5	6
Master’s	3	5
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates earn a median of $57,878 four years after completion — roughly 52% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	51.02
Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist	51.0204
Audiology/Audiologist	51.0202
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services, Other	51.0299
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist	51.0203
Advanced General Dentistry	51.0502
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	51.0599
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	51.0999

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.