2027 Communication Disorders Degree Growth by State: Where Interest Is Rising the Fastest
Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist
Reviewed by Rhea Paul, PhD
SLP Education & Research Expert
A state with a surge in searches for communication disorders degrees may not have a surge in students - or enough programs to serve them. That distinction matters if you are deciding where to study, whether to apply online, or how competitive a local program may be. This guide explains how to compare state-level interest using search activity, degree completions, and workforce evidence without mistaking one measure for another. It also shows which findings are not yet supported by comparable public data, so you can make a program decision rather than rely on an unverified "fastest-growing" ranking.
Key Things You Should Know
- No verified fastest-growing state can be named from a single public measure. Google Trends scores run from 0 to 100, but they measure relative search interest - not applications or enrolled students.
- Degree completions offer a firmer state comparison than searches. Use the same communication disorders program definition and degree level across states, then compare matched years and account for population size.
- Career demand is relevant but separate from student demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17% growth in speech-language pathologist employment from 2025 to 2035; that national projection does not establish which state's degree interest is rising fastest.
- Which states have the fastest-growing interest in communication disorders degrees? Fastest-Growing States
- How much has communication disorders degree interest changed in each state? State Growth Rates
- Which states lead in total communication disorders degree demand and enrollment? Highest Demand States
- How should communication disorders degree growth be measured and compared across states? Measurement Methodology
- What limitations should readers consider when interpreting communication disorders degree growth rankings? Ranking Limitations
Which states have the fastest-growing interest in communication disorders degrees?
There is no defensible state ranking without a specified measure, time period, and comparable state-level results. A state can lead in growth of searches, applications, enrollments, or awarded degrees, with a different leader for each. Naming a fastest-growing state without saying which of those changed - and by how much - would give prospective students a misleading answer.
For a search-interest ranking, the relevant change is the growth in a consistent search measure over two comparable periods. For evidence of actual educational participation, compare program-level enrollments where available or, more consistently across institutions, degrees awarded. A small state may post the largest increase from a low starting point while a large state adds more students overall.
Search growth may also reflect people exploring entry routes rather than applying to graduate programs. Students without a communication sciences and disorders background, for example, may be looking for online communication sciences and disorders leveling programs. Their searches should not be treated as evidence that they have enrolled in an SLP master's program.
How much has communication disorders degree interest changed in each state?
A reliable change figure for every state and Washington, D.C., requires matched observations from an identified dataset. Without those observations, state-by-state percentage changes cannot be established. A table of estimated increases would imply precision the evidence does not support.
The table distinguishes the state measures a reader might encounter. It shows what each can quantify and why the resulting change should not be labeled simply "degree interest."
| State-level measure | Change it can show | What it cannot establish |
| Google Trends search index | Change in relative search interest for a consistently defined query and period | Number of applicants or students |
| Institutional applications | Change in applications to reporting programs | Unduplicated applicants statewide, unless reporting is coordinated |
| Program enrollment | Change in students entering or attending reporting programs | Statewide enrollment if programs are missing or definitions differ |
| IPEDS degree completions | Change in awards at institutions located in a state | Current interest or where graduates will practice |
To calculate a state's change, subtract the earlier value from the later value; divide that difference by the earlier value to express growth as a percentage. Report the underlying values as well. An increase from a very small baseline can look dramatic even when few additional students are involved. If affordability affects where you can enroll, compare actual program costs separately from state growth; affordable part-time online speech pathology master's programs may offer options beyond your home state, subject to state eligibility and clinical requirements.
Which states lead in total communication disorders degree demand and enrollment?
A state cannot be identified as the enrollment leader from completions or search scores alone. Total demand could mean searches, applicants, or students seeking seats; enrollment means students who actually attend. These totals need separate rankings, even if one state appears prominent in both.
For a comparison grounded in publicly reported education outcomes, use the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to total communication disorders awards by institution location, program classification, degree level, and year. IPEDS completions count awards, not applications or current students. A bachelor's completion total should not be added to a master's total and presented as graduate-program demand.
Large absolute totals can be useful if your question is where many programs or graduates are concentrated. Rates per resident can answer a different question: whether a state produces an unusually high number of awards relative to its size. Neither measure tells you how many seats an individual school has or whether its graduates remain in the state.
How should communication disorders degree growth be measured and compared across states?
The fairest comparison uses one outcome, one program definition, one degree level, and the same years for every state. "Communication disorders" can describe a broad undergraduate major, while speech-language pathology and audiology have distinct graduate training and professional destinations. Combining them can obscure the path a prospective student actually wants.
A sound comparison follows these steps:
- Choose the outcome first: search interest, applications, entering students, or completed awards.
- Fix the program classification, degree level, states, and comparison years before viewing the results.
- Show each state's starting and ending values alongside its absolute and percentage change.
- Check whether a small baseline, a new program, or a reporting change explains an apparent surge.
- Compare both absolute totals and a clearly defined population-adjusted rate when state size matters to the question.
Rankings should state how ties and zero baselines are handled. Percentage growth is undefined when the earlier value is zero; it should not be described as an exceptionally large percentage. For search indexes, consistent terms and time windows are essential, and the index must never be relabeled as a search count.
Which data sources best reveal state-level interest in communication disorders degrees?
No single source measures the full journey from curiosity to graduation. The table identifies the primary U.S. sources most useful for a state comparison and the decision each can inform.
| Source | Best use | Key limitation |
| Google Trends | Exploring relative search interest by geography and time | Indexed, sampled search activity is not a count of prospective students |
| IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics | Comparing reported awards by program, degree level, institution state, and year | Completions lag enrollment decisions and reflect school location |
| Program or university admissions offices | Checking applications, cohort size, and available seats for a specific program | Definitions and disclosure practices differ across schools |
| U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Assessing occupational employment, pay, and projections | Workforce measures do not count degree seekers |
| U.S. Census Bureau population estimates | Putting state totals in population context | The chosen age group or denominator changes the interpretation |
Before comparing published charts, check their dates and definitions. The newest search observations and the newest available completions will generally describe different stages of the student pipeline. A recent search spike should therefore be presented alongside, not merged with, older award data.
Are rising searches translating into more communication disorders degree enrollments and completions?
Not necessarily. Searches capture exploration; enrollment requires admission, an affordable place in a program, and a decision to attend. Completions occur later and depend on students progressing through their degrees. A search increase can precede an enrollment increase, fail to produce one, or reflect interest in an online school located elsewhere.
To test whether interest is translating into participation, compare search trends with applications and entering-cohort figures from the same programs, then examine later completions using the same program definitions. Ask admissions offices for the years covered and whether their figures count applicants, applications, offers, or enrolled students. Those are different denominators.
For an individual applicant, a rising-interest headline is less useful than evidence about fit and admission requirements. Assessing readiness for speech pathology graduate school can help frame questions about prerequisites and preparation; it cannot predict admission from a state search ranking.
Which degree levels and program types are driving growth across states?
The answer depends on separate, verified comparisons by award level and program classification; an overall communication disorders total cannot identify the driver. Undergraduate communication sciences and disorders degrees may prepare students for further study, while clinical speech-language pathologist roles generally require a relevant master's degree and state licensure. Audiology follows a different professional degree and licensing path.
The table shows why degree-level distinctions matter when interpreting a state increase.
| Program path | What growth may indicate | Decision relevance |
| Undergraduate communication sciences and disorders | More students completing foundational study | Check whether the curriculum supplies prerequisites for intended graduate programs |
| Speech-language pathology master's | More students completing preparation for the SLP profession | Review accreditation, clinical training, cost, and target-state licensure disclosures |
| Audiology professional degree | More students completing preparation for audiology | Do not treat its awards as SLP master's completions |
| Online or hybrid delivery | A possible change in access, if program-level enrollment confirms it | Check state eligibility, live sessions, travel, and clinical placement arrangements |
Delivery format alone does not establish which field is growing. If a program's clinical focus matters to you, compare its curriculum and placements rather than assuming a state trend applies to every track. An overview of specializations in accelerated speech pathology degrees can help distinguish clinical interests from claims about program speed.
What demographic and workforce factors explain differences in state-level interest?
Population size, the number of nearby programs, access to prerequisites, tuition, and the ability to complete clinical training can all affect where students apply. These are plausible explanations to investigate, not proof that any one factor caused a particular state's growth. Online study further separates a student's state of residence from the institution's state in completion data.
Workforce conditions provide important context but must not be used as a substitute for education data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $97,870 for speech-language pathologists in May 2025. That national median describes an occupation, not what a new graduate in a given state will earn or whether a local program is worth its price. Readers comparing highest-paying speech pathology jobs should also weigh local opportunities, required credentials, and total education costs.
A practical test is to compare program capacity with your own constraints: Can you meet the prerequisites, finance the degree, and complete its clinical requirements where you plan to live? A state with rapidly rising interest is not automatically the best place to study or work.
How do accreditation, state authorization, and licensure affect communication disorders degree choices?
These checks matter more to an applicant than a state growth rank. For an SLP master's program, verify its current status with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Then check the program's professional licensure disclosure for the state where you intend to practice. Accreditation, permission to enroll from your state, and eligibility for a professional license are related but separate questions.
Before accepting an offer, ask the program to confirm the following for your circumstances:
- Whether it currently accepts students residing in your state and whether any restrictions apply.
- How supervised clinical placements are arranged and who is responsible for finding a site.
- Whether campus visits, travel, or scheduled live classes are required.
- Whether its curriculum is intended to meet your target state's educational licensure requirements, and what remains for you to complete after graduation.
Confirm licensing requirements with the relevant state board as well; a school's disclosure is not a license guarantee. When evaluating accelerated or online options, use ASHA standards for fast online SLP programs as a starting point for questions, then verify each program's current accreditation and clinical policies directly.
What limitations should readers consider when interpreting communication disorders degree growth rankings?
The most common mistake is treating a ranking of relative searches as a ranking of students. Other risks include comparing unmatched years, mixing bachelor's and graduate awards, overlooking a small starting value, and assigning an online student to the institution's state when discussing local interest. IPEDS awards also count completed credentials rather than unique applicants or current enrollment.
Even a carefully calculated ranking describes a past period. New programs, changes in reporting, and delayed completions can alter the apparent leader. A responsible ranking should publish its source, extraction date, program definitions, state values, time window, and calculation method - and leave a state unranked when comparable data are unavailable.
Use state growth as a research lead, not an enrollment recommendation. The better final comparison is between programs you can attend: their verified accreditation and state eligibility, total tuition and required fees, clinical placement model, schedule, and fit with your intended credential.
References:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Speech-Language Pathologists https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm
- ASHA EdFind - Accredited Speech-Language Pathology Programs https://find.asha.org/ed/
- O*NET OnLine - Speech-Language Pathologists https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1127.00
- Emerson College - Master of Science (M.S.) in Communication Disorders (Speech@Emerson, online) https://speech.emerson.edu/
- New York University - Online MS, Communicative Sciences and Disorders (Speech@NYU) https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/degree/online-ms-communicative-sciences-and-disorders
- Auburn University, Montgomery - Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology https://www.aum.edu/degree/ms-speech-language-pathology/
- Baylor University - Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (Online) https://csd.robbins.baylor.edu/graduate/online-csd-graduate-program
- University of Nebraska at Kearney - Speech-Language Pathology, Master of Science in Education (Online Track) https://www.unk.edu/online/degrees-programs/speech-language-pathology-online.php
Other Things You Should Know About Speech Pathology
Possibly. Ask the program whether it accepts residents of your state, how it arranges clinical placements, and whether its curriculum is intended to meet your target state's educational licensure requirements. Do not assume online admission means local placement or licensure eligibility.
Not by itself. Speech-language pathologists generally need an appropriate master's degree and must satisfy state licensing requirements. A bachelor's degree may provide prerequisites for graduate study, but requirements vary by program.
Not on that basis alone. Search or completion growth does not establish program quality, available seats, lower costs, or job prospects for you. Compare specific programs and the licensing rules where you expect to practice.
Request current tuition and required fees, prerequisites, cohort or admissions information if disclosed, accreditation status, state eligibility and licensure disclosures, and a clear explanation of clinical placements and travel. Compare the same cost and time measures across schools.
