by our College Data Analytics TeamSpeech Communication was the 18th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 41,146 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 2.0% reduction in speech communication degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 41,970.
Our 2023 Best Speech Communication Schools ranking analyzes 383 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for speech communication students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of speech communication programs later in this article.
When studying Speech Communication, you’ll learn that talking to others to convey information effectively will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and 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 are all required skills for careers related to this major.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most speech communication degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic speech communication program qualifications, to serve in some speech communication careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of speech communication degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in speech communication to something that takes less time like a . Speech Communication programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to speech communication, with approximately 45.0% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for speech communication workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 48.8% |
| Master’s Degree | 14.4% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 8.9% |
| High School Diploma | 8.4% |
| Some College Courses | 8.1% |
66.7% of speech communication workers have at least a bachelor's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in speech communication have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which speech communication career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your speech communication degree? Speech Communication careers are expected to grow 6.7% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to speech communication.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 282,600 | 8.9% |
| Writers and Authors | 141,200 | 7.6% |
| Communications Professors | 37,500 | 10.0% |
| Radio and Television Announcers | 36,500 | -11.6% |
| Public Address System Announcers | 11,700 | 2.6% |
As you might expect, salaries for speech communication graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for speech communication graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers speech communication grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Communications Professors | $78,090 |
| Writers and Authors | $73,090 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $68,440 |
| Radio and Television Announcers | $51,630 |
| Public Address System Announcers | $39,040 |
With over 1,392 different speech communication degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased speech communication school rankings to help you with this.
One of 3 majors within the Communication & Media Studies area of study, Speech Communication has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communications | 12,001 |
| Communication & Media Studies | 10,266 |
| Other Communication & Media Studies | 3,374 |
Image Credit: By UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
