by our College Data Analytics TeamGeneral Communication Sciences & Disorders was the 110th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 7,269 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 282 over the prior year, a growth of 3.9%.
This year's Best General Communication Sciences & Disorders Schools ranking compares 116 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom communication science rankings further below.
When studying Communication Science, you’ll learn that 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 will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents are all required skills for careers related to this major.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most communication science degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic general communication sciences and disorders program qualifications, to serve in some communication science careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of communication science degrees. General Communication Sciences & Disorders programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest communication science degree you can get. The type of communication science degree you choose will determine how long it takes to get your diploma.
| 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 master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to communication science, with approximately 44.5% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to communication science tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 47.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 33.4% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 7.8% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 5.8% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 3.0% |
About 93.3% of workers in careers related to communication science obtain at least master's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in general communication sciences and disorders careers have.
This of course varies depending on which communication science career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your communication science degree? General Communication Sciences & Disorders careers are expected to grow 22.7% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general communication sciences and disorders.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 171,000 | 17.8% |
| Audiologists | 17,800 | 20.3% |
As you might expect, salaries for communication science graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for general communication sciences and disorders graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers communication science grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Audiologists | $82,210 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | $80,700 |
With over 272 different communication science 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 communication science school rankings to help you with this.
General Communication Sciences & Disorders is one of 4 different types of Communication Sciences programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Speech Pathology & Audiology | 7,841 |
| Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist | 5,907 |
| Audiology/Audiologist | 1,032 |
| Other Communication Disorders Sciences & Services | 249 |
Image Credit: By Ghozt Tramp under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
