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Health Professions · Communication Disorders Rank #16 of 103

Communication Disordersat Worcester State University

Graduates earn $34,142/yr in their first year — about 34.0% above the national Communication Disorders average. Base-case 10-year earnings $632K; scenarios range from $562K to $633K depending on AI disruption.

Worcester, MA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
40 AVERAGE
41
Optimistic
45
Pessimistic
Earnings
$34,142
1-year post-graduation
ROI
12.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$632K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Worcester State University

Worcester State's Communication Disorders program stands out for its graduates' strong earning potential early in their careers. This isn't just luck; it reflects the robust demand for skilled speech-language pathologists and audiologists in the New England region. The Worcester area, with its numerous hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centers like UMass Memorial Health, provides ample clinical opportunities and a clear career pipeline.

Many graduates leverage their undergraduate foundation to pursue master's degrees, which are essential for licensure in these high-demand fields. The program likely prepares you exceptionally well for graduate school, allowing you to enter professional roles quickly. You'll find yourself working with diverse populations, from children in school systems to adults in healthcare settings, addressing vital communication needs. Your actionable advice: prioritize gaining varied clinical observation hours and forge strong relationships with faculty; these connections are invaluable for graduate school applications and securing those competitive early-career positions.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$562K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple12.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$632K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score40/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$633K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Worcester State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Communication Disorders graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
2
Speech-language pathologists
+15.0% 10-yr growth · 13,300 openings/yr
$95,410/yr
Moderate
3
Audiologists
+9.5% 10-yr growth · 700 openings/yr
$92,120/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Communication Disorders

How Worcester State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Nevada State University
NV · Public
52
DW Score
$48K
1-yr earn
17.8x
ROI
California Baptist University
CA · Private nonprofit
29
DW Score
$39K
1-yr earn
2.4x
ROI
Baylor University
TX · Private nonprofit
29
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
AZ · Public
41
DW Score
$37K
1-yr earn
10.8x
ROI
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
AZ · Public
32
DW Score
$37K
1-yr earn
Also at Worcester State University

Other top programs at Worcester State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Worcester State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Communication Disorders offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Communication Disorders trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Communication Disorders at Worcester State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Communication Disorders at Worcester State University?

A score of 40/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Communication Disorders. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Communication Disorders careers?

With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $561,750 in decade earnings vs $632,887 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

What makes Worcester State University's Communication Disorders program stand out?

Ranked #16 of 103 programs nationally, Worcester State University lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.