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 PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE

42

Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.

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 graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. 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?
For Communication Sciences & Disorders, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 42. 87.6% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
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