Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at Nevada State University

Nevada State's Communication Disorders program produces results that dwarf nearly every comparable program in the country, though the small graduate cohort means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. At $47,833 in first-year earnings, graduates here earn nearly double the national median for this bachelor's degree and substantially more than the state's median of $35,783. The debt load of $25,909 sits just slightly above benchmarks but translates to a highly manageable 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary.

The standout comparison is against University of Nevada-Reno, where similar program graduates earn just $23,733—literally half what Nevada State graduates command. This gap suggests Nevada State may have stronger clinical placement relationships or better employer connections in the Las Vegas metro area, which has robust healthcare infrastructure. The 80th percentile ranking within Nevada confirms this isn't a fluke of the data.

The caveat matters here: with fewer than 30 graduates, a few outlier career paths could be inflating these figures. But even accounting for that uncertainty, this program appears to deliver exceptional preparation for speech-language pathology assistant roles or graduate school pathways. For families weighing options in Nevada, this represents the clear value choice over UNR, assuming your student thrives at a smaller, newer institution with high accessibility.