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Communication Sciences & Disorders Major

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Communication Sciences & Disorders

5,220 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,904 Master's Degrees Annually
#5 in Popularity
$82,210 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Communication Sciences & Disorders Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general communication sciences and disorders graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 5,220
Master’s Degree 1,904
Graduate Certificate 92
Doctor’s Degree 48
Undergraduate Certificate 5

What Communication Sciences & Disorders Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to communication science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Communication Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in communication science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Skills for Communication Science Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to communication science:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Communication Science Majors

As you progress with your communication science degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Communication Sciences & Disorders Major?

People with a communication science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Audiologists 20.3% $75,920
Health Specialties Professors 25.9% $97,370
Speech-Language Pathologists 17.8% $77,510

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders?

5,220 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
95% Percent Women
35% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major is dominated by women with about 95% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communication science majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 234
Black or African American 192
Hispanic or Latino 1,203
White 3,231
International Students 73
Other Races/Ethnicities 287

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Communication Science, too. About 1.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Communication Sciences & Disorders Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Communication Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $80,700 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Communication Sciences & Disorders Major  ( 80700 to 122320 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with communication science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for communication science careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.1%
Bachelor’s Degree 3.0%
Master’s Degree 47.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 7.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 1.2%
Doctoral Degree 33.4%
Post-Doctoral Training 5.8%

Online Communication Sciences & Disorders Programs

In 2020-2021, 162 schools offered a communication science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 2 1
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 10 1
Bachelor’s Degree 9 3
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 70 1
Post-Master’s 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 23 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders Worth It?

The median salary for a communication science grad is $82,210 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 106% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $846,200 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to communication science.

Major Number of Grads
Speech Pathology & Audiology 7,841
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 5,907
Audiology/Audiologist 1,032
Other Communication Disorders Sciences & Services 249

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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