25 Best Master's in Speech Pathology Schools 2020
These are the best 25 schools that offer a master's degree in speech pathology, based on median salary one year after graduation. University of the Pacific is ranked #1 with a median starting salary of $69,800. Graduates of the speech-language pathology program at California State University-Fresno had the lowest median debt, amounting to $28,071. Median salaries for the top 25 schools range from $61,900-$69,800.
Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2019. View our methodology for more details about these rankings or read more about the top-ranked schools.
| School | Annual Tuition | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University - Fresno | $18,945 | $28,071 | $68,000 |
| San Diego State University | $20,332 | $35,761 | $67,700 |
| California State University-Long Beach | $18,978 | $41,000 | $67,400 |
| Loma Linda University | $34,460 | $55,410 | $67,100 |
| Long Island University | $25,990 | $77,750 | $65,800 |
| CUNY Lehman College | $21,000 | $29,260 | $65,600 |
| University of Redlands | $25,172 | $51,250 | $65,300 |
| California State University - Northridge | $19,062 | $53,985 | $65,200 |
| California State University - Chico | $20,076 | $30,000 | $64,900 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | $16,621 | $29,664 | $64,400 |
| Teachers College at Columbia University | $37,918 | $108,349 | $64,100 |
| University of North Texas | $16,471 | $36,543 | $63,400 |
| Stephen F. Austin State University | $15,209 | $36,138 | $63,300 |
| The George Washington University | $36,414 | $86,000 | $62,900 |
| Stockton University | $24,264 | $41,000 | $62,400 |
| CUNY Hunter College | $20,828 | Not Reported | $62,000 |
| University of Connecticut | $44,784 | $40,723 | $61,900 |
2020 Best Colleges Highlights
California State University, Fresno, also known as Fresno State, offers a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology housed in the university’s Department of Communicative Sciences & Deaf Studies. The master's program is 36 credits and takes two years of full-time study to complete.
Students are required to complete at least 400 supervised clinical practicum hours, gained at the University Speech and Hearing Clinic, and in at least two other settings such as an internship, student teaching, or residency program. Students are required to complete their final student teaching and internship within the last two semesters of the program and within the last 12 credits of coursework. All Fresno State graduate students are required to complete a Culminating Experience, consisting of either a thesis, project, or comprehensive written exam.
This program fulfills requirements for the following credentials: Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential, Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Pathology, and the California State license from the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.
California State University, Fresno opened in 1911 as a teacher’s college and was brought into the California State University system in 1972. It’s located in the richly diverse central California city of Fresno.
San Diego State University offers a Master of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with one concentration: clinical Speech-Language Pathology. The program begins each Fall term, and the curriculum is completed over five semesters. The clinical Speech-Language Pathology concentration is full-time and intensive, taking two academic years to complete. Students must complete a minimum of 45 academic credits and 19 clinical practicum credits, in addition to either a thesis or a written comprehensive examination.
The M.A. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences has a clinical focus and may be used to satisfy preparation for the following credentials: the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Speech-Language Pathology Credential from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing; and licensure from the State of California.
This concentration is designed to provide students with the opportunity to complete coursework in all of the following areas: articulation, fluency, voice and resonance, receptive and expressive language, hearing, swallowing, cognitive and social aspects of communication, and augmentative and alternative communication modalities. The curriculum includes courses like Research Methods in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Voice, Resonance, and Fluency Disorders, Diagnostic Methods in Speech-Language Pathology, Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology, and Clinical Practice in Public Schools.
This program also offers the option to specialize in bilingualism for students able to pass a language proficiency test in a language other than English. Students accepted to this specialization are eligible for the Certificate in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology, designed for graduates planning to work with bilingual Spanish-English speakers.
San Diego State University was founded in 1897 as a training school for elementary school teachers. It expanded through the 1900s and was integrated into the California State University system in 1960. The school’s main campus is located within 15 minutes of downtown San Diego, California.