45 Best Masters in Speech-Language Pathology

It's estimated that 42 million Americans live with communicative or swallowing disorders and are looking to highly trained speech-language pathologists for care. Speech-language pathologists are trained in identifying, assessing, and treating communication and swallowing disorders in people of all ages and backgrounds. The 45 master's programs in our list prepare students to enter the profession as a clinical speech-language pathologist or to pursue further study leading to a doctoral degree.

The curriculum of graduate-level speech-language pathology programs is overseen by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Students who earn the graduate degrees on our list of the 45 best masters programs in speech-language pathology are eligible to earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the ASHA, and in some cases state licensure. Most programs require students to produce a thesis or complete a comprehensive oral and written examination to earn their degrees. Students in these graduate programs get hands-on training with supervised clinical practicum experiences and full-time internships in a range of settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, skilled nursing facilities, homes, and private practice.

Students who earn a degree in speech-language pathology can expect outstanding career opportunities. Many programs on our list boasted 100 percent job placement for their graduates and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports above average job growth of 18 percent through 2026. In 2018 the median pay for speech-language pathologists was $77,510, more than double the average income for individuals in the U.S. Find the program that's the right fit for you with the Best 45 Masters Degrees in Speech-Language Pathology.

Ranking Methodology: "It's science!"

The researchers and writers at Best Master's Degrees don't make recommendations based upon preference– we back our rankings with science. Here's a quick breakdown of how we organize ranking data:

Finances (40%)
Academic Rigor (35%)
Student Gratification (25%)

Nearly half of the data used to score each ranking involves finances and are acquired from sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, Glassdoor, and PayScale. Financial data encompasses the cost of tuition, fees, and class supplied; the average price of living; access to financial aid and social services; and lastly, the projected annual salary acquired from degree outcomes and income for loan repayment. The second largest category of information involves the quality of education, how competitive degree applicants should be for consideration, and how exclusive a degree program is overall. The final 25 percent of collected data is dependent on student and alumni reviews from sources such as PayScale, Rate My Professor, and Students Review.

Want to Learn More?

The amount of information available for specific degrees is plentiful, and Best Master's Degrees aims to provide as many resources as we can. Check out our Methodology page for more information and resource links.

#45 – Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Brooklyn, New York

45 Best Masters in Speech-Language Pathology

#45 – Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

#44 – Brigham Young University

#43 – University of Northern Iowa

#42 – Ohio University

#41 – University of North Texas

#40 – Central Michigan University

#39 – Kansas State University

#38 – Western Michigan University

#37 – University of New Mexico

#36 – The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

#35 – University of Memphis

#34 – University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center

#33 – Louisiana State University

#32 – Teachers College at Columbia University

#31 – Temple University

#30 – The University of Texas at Austin

#29 – Florida State University

#28 – University of Florida

#27 – Vanderbilt University

#26 – New York University

#25 – University of Alabama

#24 – University of Colorado Boulder

#23 – Michigan State University

#22 – University of Nebraska–Lincoln

#21 – Northwestern University

#20 – University of Kansas

#19 – University of Connecticut

#18 – University of Arizona

#17 – University of South Florida

#16 – University of Maryland

#15 – Indiana University Bloomington

#14 – Northeastern University

#13 – San Diego State University

#12 – University of Iowa

#11 – University of Pittsburgh

#10 – University of Virginia

#9 – University of Georgia

#8 – The University of Texas at Dallas

#7 – University of Utah

#6 – Boston University

#5 – University of Washington

#4 – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3 – Purdue University

#2 – University of Wisconsin-Madison

#1 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill