MAJORS · 3 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a communication sciences & disorders degree worth it?
Part of Health and Nursing — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, no — the mean lifetime ROI is −$180,747, by FREOPP’s own published number. The honest details matter.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
−$180,747
across 154 bachelor’s programs · 8,088 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$180K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$284K ⟷ −$51K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
87.6%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
42
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$177K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$106K
Questions
- Is a communication sciences & disorders degree worth it?
- On average no — across 154 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Communication Sciences & Disorders is −$180,747 and the median is −$179,917. 87.6% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$283,584 and −$51,148.
- How long until a communication sciences & disorders degree pays off?
- Among Communication Sciences & Disorders programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 42 (FREOPP 2021). 87.6% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a communication sciences & disorders major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Communication Sciences & Disorders graduates span −$283,584 to −$51,148 — a +$232K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Communication Sciences & Disorders: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/communication-sciences-and-disorders