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Speech communication instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a speech communication instructor. Speech communication instructors usually study communication, public relations, or english. 63% of speech communication instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 139 real speech communication instructor resumes to see exactly what speech communication instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for speech communication instructors are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

There are also many online speech communication instructor courses to help get the education required to be a speech communication instructor.

What education do you need to become a speech communication instructor?

What degree do you need to be a speech communication instructor?

The most common degree for speech communication instructors is bachelor's degree, with 63% of speech communication instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 30% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 30%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a speech communication instructor?

You should major in communication to become a speech communication instructor. 47% of speech communication instructors major in communication. Other common majors for a speech communication instructor include public relations and english.

Most common colleges for speech communication instructors

Speech communication instructors often get their degrees at University of North Texas, Grand Valley State University, and Eastern Illinois University. Here are the most common colleges for speech communication instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Speech communication instructor common collegePercentages
University of North Texas6.90%
Grand Valley State University6.90%
Eastern Illinois University6.90%
Illinois State University6.90%
Arkansas State University6.90%

Best majors for speech communication instructors

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication46.6%
2Public Relations8.7%
3English5.8%
4Theatre4.9%
5Political Science4.9%

Best colleges for speech communication instructors

The best colleges for speech communication instructors are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

A speech communication instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for speech communication instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become speech communication instructors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for speech communication instructors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for speech communication instructors

The most affordable schools for speech communication instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for speech communication instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for speech communication instructors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for speech communication instructors

The hardest universities for speech communication instructors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for speech communication instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for speech communication instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for speech communication instructors

The easiest schools for speech communication instructors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a speech communication instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for speech communication instructors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average speech communication instructor salary by education level

According to our data, speech communication instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,887 annually. Speech communication instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,444.
Speech communication instructor education levelSpeech communication instructor salary
Master's Degree$48,444
Doctorate Degree$58,887

Speech communication instructor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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