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Speech-language pathology assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a speech-language pathology assistant. Speech-language pathology assistants usually study communication disorders sciences, speech-language pathology, or special education. 72% of speech-language pathology assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,427 real speech-language pathology assistant resumes to see exactly what speech-language pathology assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for speech-language pathology assistants are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.

There are also many online speech-language pathology assistant courses to help get the education required to be a speech-language pathology assistant.

There are certain speech-language pathology assistant certifications that you should consider. These speech-language pathology assistant certifications include Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and Pathology.

What education do you need to become a speech-language pathology assistant?

What degree do you need to be a speech-language pathology assistant?

The most common degree for speech-language pathology assistants is bachelor's degree, with 72% of speech-language pathology assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Doctorate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a speech-language pathology assistant?

You should major in communication disorders sciences to become a speech-language pathology assistant. 40% of speech-language pathology assistants major in communication disorders sciences. Other common majors for a speech-language pathology assistant include speech-language pathology and special education.

Most common colleges for speech-language pathology assistants

Speech-language pathology assistants often get their degrees at California State University - San Bernardino, University of Central Florida, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for speech-language pathology assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Speech-language pathology assistant common collegePercentages
California State University - San Bernardino8.30%
University of Central Florida7.91%
Arizona State University6.32%
University of Houston6.32%
University of South Florida5.93%

Best majors for speech-language pathology assistants

Best colleges for speech-language pathology assistants

The best colleges for speech-language pathology assistants are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University.

A speech-language pathology assistant 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-language pathology assistants. 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-language pathology assistants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for speech-language pathology assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for speech-language pathology assistants

The most affordable schools for speech-language pathology assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for speech-language pathology assistants 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-language pathology assistants.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for speech-language pathology assistants

The hardest universities for speech-language pathology assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for speech-language pathology assistants 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-language pathology assistants 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

6. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for speech-language pathology assistants

The easiest schools for speech-language pathology assistants to get into are AdventHealth University, notre dame de namur university, and our lady of the lake university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a speech-language pathology assistant 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-language pathology assistants.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

4. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average speech-language pathology assistant salary by education level

Speech-language pathology assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $79,380 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, speech-language pathology assistants earn a median annual income of $68,836 compared to $62,942 for speech-language pathology assistants with an Associate degree.
Speech-language pathology assistant education levelSpeech-language pathology assistant salary
Master's Degree$79,380
High School Diploma or Less$58,904
Bachelor's Degree$68,836
Some College/ Associate Degree$62,942

Speech-language pathology assistant 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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