Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin's Communication Disorders program demonstrates something unusual: graduates start $5,000 below the Texas median but experience one of the most dramatic income jumps in this field. That 140% earnings growth over four years suggests many graduates are pursuing graduate degrees (required for clinical practice as speech-language pathologists) and then entering the workforce, which would explain both the low initial earnings and the strong mid-career recovery to $53,486.

Here's the concern for an anxious parent: your child will likely spend 1-2 years making roughly $22,000 while completing the master's degree necessary for certification. That's a period of financial vulnerability, especially if they need to take on additional debt for graduate school. The relatively light undergraduate debt load of $20,500 helps, but only if you're planning for the full trajectory this career requires. Among Texas programs, this ranks at the bottom quartile—programs like Baylor and Stephen F. Austin show their graduates earning $35,000+ right after the bachelor's, suggesting different pathways or better preparation for intermediate employment.

The investment makes sense if your child is committed to graduate education in speech-language pathology, where the career outlook is strong. But if they're uncertain about continuing past the bachelor's degree, they'll face years of below-living-wage earnings before the picture improves. Factor in graduate school costs when calculating the true investment here.