Speech therapy assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a speech therapy assistant. Speech therapy assistants usually study communication disorders sciences, psychology, or speech-language pathology. 62% of speech therapy assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,554 real speech therapy assistant resumes to see exactly what speech therapy assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for speech therapy assistants are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

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

There are certain speech therapy assistant certifications that you should consider. These speech therapy assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a speech therapy assistant?

What degree do you need to be a speech therapy assistant?

The most common degree for speech therapy assistants is bachelor's degree, with 62% of speech therapy assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a speech therapy assistant?

You should major in communication disorders sciences to become a speech therapy assistant. 21% of speech therapy assistants major in communication disorders sciences. Other common majors for a speech therapy assistant include psychology and speech-language pathology.

Communication Disorders Sciences, 21%

Psychology, 17%

Speech-Language Pathology, 8%

Kinesiology, 7%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for speech therapy assistants

Speech therapy assistants often get their degrees at University of North Texas, University of South Florida, and University of Pittsburgh. Here are the most common colleges for speech therapy assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Speech therapy assistant common college	Percentages
University of North Texas	8.62%
University of South Florida	6.03%
University of Pittsburgh	6.03%
Monmouth College	6.03%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	6.03%

Show more common speech therapy assistant colleges

Best majors for speech therapy assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication Disorders Sciences	21.2%
2	Psychology	17.0%
3	Speech-Language Pathology	7.9%
4	Kinesiology	6.5%
5	Special Education	5.3%

Show more common speech therapy assistant majors

Best colleges for speech therapy assistants

The best colleges for speech therapy assistants are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A speech therapy 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 therapy 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 therapy assistants.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

20 best online courses for speech therapy assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for speech therapy assistants

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

If the best universities for speech therapy 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 therapy 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for speech therapy assistants

The hardest universities for speech therapy assistants to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for speech therapy 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 therapy 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for speech therapy assistants

The easiest schools for speech therapy assistants to get into are D'Youville College, bluefield college, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a speech therapy 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 therapy assistants.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average speech therapy assistant salary by education level

Speech therapy assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $50,317 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, speech therapy assistants earn a median annual income of $42,428 compared to $38,118 for speech therapy assistants with an Associate degree.

Speech therapy assistant education level	Speech therapy assistant salary
Master's Degree	$50,317
High School Diploma or Less	$35,210
Bachelor's Degree	$42,428
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,118

Speech therapy assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Speech Therapy Assistants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare support questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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