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Speech/language therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a speech/language therapist. Speech/language therapists usually study communication disorders sciences, speech-language pathology, or special education. 71% of speech/language therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 956 real speech/language therapist resumes to see exactly what speech/language therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for speech/language therapists are the University of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida.
There are also many online speech/language therapist courses to help get the education required to be a speech/language therapist.
What education do you need to become a speech/language therapist?
What degree do you need to be a speech/language therapist?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a speech/language therapist?
- Special Education, 11%
- Education, 4%
- Other Majors, 25%
Most common colleges for speech/language therapists
| Speech/language therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Central Florida | 14.93% |
| Carlos Albizu University | 14.93% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 5.97% |
| Caribbean University | 5.97% |
| Nazareth College of Rochester | 5.22% |
Best majors for speech/language therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication Disorders Sciences | 34.5% |
| 2 | Speech-Language Pathology | 25.6% |
| 3 | Special Education | 10.8% |
| 4 | Education | 3.7% |
| 5 | Psychology | 3.7% |
Best colleges for speech/language therapists
The best colleges for speech/language therapists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University.
A speech/language therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
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 therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for speech/language therapists
The most affordable schools for speech/language therapists 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 therapists 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 therapists.
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 therapists
The hardest universities for speech/language therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for speech/language therapists 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 therapists 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 therapists
The easiest schools for speech/language therapists 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 therapist 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 therapists.
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 therapist salary by education level
| Speech/language therapist education level | Speech/language therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,653 |
| Doctorate Degree | $76,043 |
Speech/language therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025