Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at University of Northern Iowa

That first-year earnings figure of $10,746 looks alarming at first glance, but context matters here. This program is essentially a pre-graduate school track—Communication Disorders Sciences and Services typically prepares students for speech-language pathology master's programs, which explains why many graduates are likely in graduate school rather than working full-time that first year. The 394% earnings jump to $53,086 by year four supports this interpretation. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically with more data, the four-year earnings show graduates landing in solid financial territory, well above both the national median ($24,702) and Iowa's median ($16,358) for this bachelor's degree.

The debt picture actually works in UNI's favor here. At $18,067, graduates carry about $4,000 less debt than the typical Iowa student in this program and significantly less than the national median of $22,362. Since most students will need additional graduate education to become practicing clinicians, starting with lower undergraduate debt is a meaningful advantage. The University of Iowa's similar program shows higher first-year earnings ($21,969), but remember that UNI graduates appear to catch up substantially by year four while carrying less debt.

For a student committed to becoming a speech-language pathologist, UNI provides an affordable foundation. Just understand that those early earnings reflect the reality of graduate school, not career failure, and ensure your child has a realistic plan for funding the master's degree they'll likely need.