Speech-Language Pathology major
Speech-Language Pathology: courses, careers, and where to study
Speech-Language Pathology studies how people produce speech, language, voice, and swallowing, suiting students who want to assess and treat communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan.
Undergraduate Speech-Language Pathology (often titled Communication Sciences and Disorders) is a pre-professional major covering the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, normal language acquisition, phonetics, and the science behind speech, voice, fluency, and swallowing disorders. Coursework typically pairs these foundations with audiology, linguistics, and supervised observation hours so students understand both how communication develops and how it breaks down.
The bachelor's degree is generally a stepping stone rather than a terminal credential: practicing as a speech-language pathologist almost always requires a master's degree plus a clinical fellowship, certification, and state licensure. Graduates work in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled-nursing facilities, and private clinics, evaluating and treating articulation, language, voice, fluency, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders. Some bachelor's holders work as speech-language pathology assistants under supervision while pursuing graduate study.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% employment growth for speech-language pathologists from 2024 to 2034 and reports a 2024 median annual wage of $95,410 for the occupation.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Speech-Language Pathology maps to CIP 51.0203, Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to evaluate the speaking, language interpretation, and related physiological and cognitive capabilities of children and/or adults and develop treatment and rehabilitative solutions in consultation with clinicians and educators. Includes instruction in the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, biomechanics of swallowing and vocal articulation, communications disorders, psychology of auditory function and cognitive communication, language assessment and diagnostic techniques, and rehabilitative and management therapies.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Speech-Language Pathology is awarded as
Of the 7,021 Speech-Language Pathology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate1%74
- Associate<1%30
- Bachelor's19%1,335
- Graduate80%5,582
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 31 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 1 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Anatomy and physiology of the speech, hearing, and swallowing mechanisms
- Phonetics and acoustic analysis of speech sounds
- Typical and atypical language acquisition across the lifespan
- Speech, language, voice, fluency, and swallowing (dysphagia) disorders
- Audiology and hearing science fundamentals
- Clinical assessment, diagnostics, and treatment planning
- Linguistics and the neurological bases of communication
- Supervised clinical observation hours
Typical careers
- Speech-language pathologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
- School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist (with master's)
- Medical Speech-Language Pathologist (with master's)
- Early Intervention Specialist
- Audiologist (with doctoral degree)
Typical salary range: BLS reports a 2024 median annual wage of $95,410 for speech-language pathologists.Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Speech-Language Pathology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | $95,410 | 13,300 | +15% | Master's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Speech-Language Pathology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Speech-Language Pathology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Speech-Language Pathology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Speech-Language Pathology department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Speech-Language Pathology program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Speech-Language Pathology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Emerson CollegeMA · 326
- San Diego State UniversityCA · 183
- Nova Southeastern UniversityFL · 155
- Texas Woman's UniversityTX · 143
- University of St. Augustine for Health SciencesCA · 142
- James Madison UniversityVA · 133
- Oklahoma State University-Main CampusOK · 115
- California State University-Long BeachCA · 108
- Northern Arizona UniversityAZ · 105
- Valdosta State UniversityGA · 105
- California State University-San MarcosCA · 98
- University of Cincinnati-Main CampusOH · 98
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Speech-Language Pathology credentials were awarded
11 states have a distinct enough set of Speech-Language Pathology colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Speech-Language Pathology schools by state
- Speech-Language Pathology in California
- Speech-Language Pathology in Florida
- Speech-Language Pathology in Georgia
- Speech-Language Pathology in Illinois
- Speech-Language Pathology in Maryland
- Speech-Language Pathology in Massachusetts
- Speech-Language Pathology in New York
- Speech-Language Pathology in North Carolina
- Speech-Language Pathology in Pennsylvania
- Speech-Language Pathology in Texas
Related majors
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Communications
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
Education
Education prepares graduates for state-licensed teaching careers in public and private K–12 schools, combining content-area study with pedagogy and supervised student-teaching.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Speech-Language Pathology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Healthcare careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Speech-Language Pathology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Speech-Language Pathology path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.