Choosing a speech pathology program in North Carolina means weighing licensure eligibility, clinical training, cost, and where you want to practice. This guide explains the degree paths, admissions, career outlook, and trade-offs that matter most. It will feature a 2027 Most Popular Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about which programs are worth considering. Use it to compare options and plan a practical route into speech-language pathology.
Key findings about speech pathology degrees in North Carolina
A master's degree from an appropriately accredited program, supervised clinical experience, examination, and North Carolina licensure steps are central to becoming a speech-language pathologist; an undergraduate communication-sciences degree alone is not the qualifying professional credential.
Speech-language pathologists had a national median annual wage of $97,870 in May 2025, and BLS projects 17% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, indicating strong demand but not a guaranteed individual outcome.
North Carolina applicants should compare public in-state tuition, clinical-placement access, and program format before applying; affordability can differ substantially by residency, aid package, program length, and whether work hours must be reduced during clinical training.
What can I expect from a speech pathology degree in North Carolina?
"Speech pathology" commonly refers to speech-language pathology (SLP): assessment and treatment of speech, language, swallowing, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication disorders. In North Carolina, the usual professional route is a bachelor's degree followed by a clinical master's degree in speech-language pathology, then supervised professional experience, national certification requirements, and state licensure.
A bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders is a strong preparation path, but it does not independently qualify someone to practice as an SLP. Students changing fields may complete prerequisite coursework before entering a master's program. The graduate degree is intensive because it combines academic study, simulation or laboratory work, and direct supervised clinical care.
Education option
Typical purpose
Best fit
Important limitation
Bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders
Builds foundational knowledge for graduate admission
Students starting their academic path
Does not qualify graduates for independent SLP practice
Master's in speech-language pathology
Prepares students for clinical practice and licensure steps
Applicants seeking SLP careers
Requires substantial clinical and academic commitment
Post-baccalaureate prerequisites
Fills science and communication-disorders gaps
Career changers with another bachelor's degree
Adds time and cost before the graduate degree
Doctoral study
Supports research, faculty, or advanced leadership goals
Professionals pursuing academia or research
Usually unnecessary for entry-level clinical practice
Expect programs to emphasize evidence-based practice, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, documentation, interprofessional collaboration, and ethical care. Students who want a clinical career, can manage a structured cohort schedule, and are comfortable working closely with children or adults are usually good candidates. Those seeking a fully self-paced degree, minimal practicum obligations, or immediate independent practice after a bachelor's degree should consider a different path.
Where can I work with a speech pathology degree in North Carolina?
Licensed SLPs work across health care and education rather than in one single industry. North Carolina's mix of large health systems, public school districts, early-intervention services, rehabilitation providers, and rural communities creates varied placement and employment settings. Location matters because clinical populations, commute expectations, and school-based schedules can differ sharply between metropolitan and rural counties.
The settings below show how the work environment can affect the role you choose after graduate school.
Work setting
Common client needs
Decision consideration
Public schools
Language, articulation, fluency, literacy-related communication, and IEP services
Often follows an academic-year calendar and requires comfort with school documentation and team meetings
Hospitals and rehabilitation facilities
Swallowing, stroke, brain injury, voice, and cognitive-communication care
May involve medical schedules, acute-care pace, and adult-focused clinical skills
Outpatient clinics and private practices
Child and adult speech, language, feeding, and voice therapy
Hours can include afternoons or evenings; caseload mix varies by employer
Early intervention and home-based services
Developmental communication and caregiver coaching
Travel and family-centered practice are common
Skilled nursing and long-term care
Dysphagia, cognition, motor speech, and communication support
Useful for students interested in gerontology and medically complex adults
Before applying, ask whether a program can arrange placements across both school and medical settings. That exposure can help you test preferences before accepting a first job. For a closer look at duties and settings, see what does a speech pathologist do.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $97,870, or $47.05 per hour, for speech-language pathologists in May 2025. This is the newest wage reference specified by BLS for the occupation, and it is a national median - not a starting salary, a North Carolina average, or a promise of earnings.
Actual pay in North Carolina can vary with setting, experience, credentials, caseload, schedule, and local labor conditions. Medical employers, schools, contract roles, rural-service incentives, and private practices may compensate differently. A better return-on-investment estimate compares likely debt and time out of the workforce with the pay range for the settings and communities where you actually expect to work.
Salary potential should be evaluated alongside the practical conditions associated with each type of job.
Pay factor
Why it can affect earnings
How to use it when comparing programs
Employment setting
School, medical, and private-practice compensation structures differ
Seek clinical experiences in your preferred setting before treating a salary range as relevant
Geographic mobility
Local demand and cost of living vary within the state
Compare likely job markets near where you intend to live
Program cost and duration
Higher borrowing and delayed full-time earnings can change ROI
Calculate net cost, not only published tuition
Completion and licensure readiness
Finishing on time and meeting requirements are essential to entering practice
Ask about advising, clinical-placement support, and outcome reporting
Do not choose a program solely because of a salary headline. The relevant question is whether its total cost, completion likelihood, and clinical preparation fit your expected career path and financial circumstances.
Programs differ most meaningfully in their degree level, clinical-training model, location, research environment, and access for students at different stages. A prospective student should confirm current accreditation and admissions details directly with each department because curricula and cohort policies can change. The following comparisons focus on concrete features that can shape fit rather than broad institutional reputation.
North Carolina Central University: NCCU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers an HBCU-based environment for students pursuing communication-disorders study in the Research Triangle region. Its location can be especially useful for applicants who want access to the Durham-area health care and education landscape while seeking a department-centered pathway in communication sciences and disorders.
East Carolina University: ECU's communication-disorders program is based in eastern North Carolina, a meaningful distinction for students who want clinical education connected to communities outside the state's largest metropolitan corridor. This geographic orientation can be particularly relevant for applicants interested in serving rural or regional populations and reducing the need to relocate for training.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro: UNC Greensboro's Communication Sciences and Disorders unit sits within the School of Health and Human Sciences, linking speech-language pathology education to a broader health-professions setting. This structure may suit students who value interdisciplinary exposure and access to the Triad's mix of schools, clinics, and health services.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: UNC-Chapel Hill houses Speech and Hearing Sciences within the School of Medicine, a distinctive academic setting for students interested in medical collaboration, research, and health-sciences education. Applicants considering hospital-based, voice, swallowing, or research-oriented directions should examine how its clinical and research opportunities align with those goals.
Western Carolina University: Western Carolina's communication-sciences-and-disorders program offers an option in western North Carolina, which can matter substantially for students seeking access closer to mountain-region communities. It may be a practical choice for applicants who want regional clinical connections and wish to avoid assuming that Triangle- or Triad-based programs are their only in-state choices.
Appalachian State University: Appalachian State offers a graduate SLP pathway through its Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, connecting communication-disorders preparation with rehabilitation-focused education. This departmental home can appeal to students who want to frame speech-language pathology within collaborative rehabilitation and community-health practice.
These distinctions do not establish a universal "best" program. Compare the precise degree offered, accredited status, prerequisites, clinical-placement process, cohort expectations, total net cost, and the populations you hope to serve. Students considering a faster remote route can also compare Best Accelerated Online Speech Pathology Degree Programs, but should verify whether an accelerated structure still accommodates required clinical education and North Carolina licensure planning.
For a student beginning after high school, the standard route is about four years for a bachelor's degree followed by roughly two years of full-time graduate study. The graduate timeline can be longer for part-time enrollment, prerequisite completion, clinical-placement sequencing, or an additional supervised professional phase required after graduation before full licensure.
Career changers should plan especially carefully. A bachelor's degree in another field may be acceptable for admission, but missing prerequisites in areas such as phonetics, audiology, language development, anatomy, statistics, or speech science can extend the timeline. Ask each program whether prerequisites must be completed before admission or may be taken conditionally.
Time-to-completion is also a financial decision. A shorter program may lower living-cost and opportunity-cost exposure, but only if its course sequence, clinical placements, and pace are realistically manageable. Full-time students should not assume they can maintain substantial paid work during intensive practicum semesters.
Online SLP programs can deliver academic coursework remotely, but clinical education remains supervised and location-dependent. Students generally still need in-person clinical placements, and they must verify whether the institution can support placements in North Carolina and whether its curriculum satisfies state licensure requirements. "Online" does not mean fully independent, self-paced, or free of travel.
This comparison highlights the format differences that matter most for a regulated clinical profession.
Factor
Online or hybrid format
On-campus format
Course access
Can reduce relocation and commuting for didactic coursework
Offers scheduled face-to-face learning and campus access
Clinical placements
Still require approved in-person sites and supervisor coordination
May have established local placement networks, though placement location can still vary
Schedule
Can help working students when courses are asynchronous, but practicum may not be flexible
Usually follows a fixed cohort and campus schedule
Best fit
Students with strong self-management and a viable local placement plan
Students who prefer in-person faculty contact and local cohort structure
Key risk
Assuming remote coursework alone meets clinical or licensure needs
Underestimating relocation, commuting, and housing costs
Choose online study only after receiving clear answers about North Carolina authorization, clinical placement responsibility, travel expectations, live-session requirements, and licensure disclosures. Applicants who need flexibility can review online slp programs, but should compare total clinical and travel costs rather than tuition alone.
A single statewide "average cost" can be misleading because tuition depends on residency, institution, credit load, program length, fees, and aid. Public universities often price in-state and out-of-state students differently, while private nonprofit institutions may use one tuition schedule but offer different institutional grants. Published tuition is only one part of the decision.
Build a program-by-program budget using the cost categories below. This approach is more useful than relying on a headline price because clinical education can create expenses that are not included in tuition.
Cost category
Why it varies
What to verify
Tuition and mandatory fees
Residency, credit load, and public or private pricing models
Current per-credit or per-term rate and projected program total
Housing and transportation
Campus location, commute, and clinical-assignment site
Whether placements may require long travel or temporary relocation
Clinical and professional expenses
Background checks, immunizations, liability coverage, testing, and materials
Department's required-cost estimate
Opportunity cost
Reduced paid-work capacity during intensive semesters
Whether the course and practicum sequence permits employment
Financing cost
Borrowing amount and interest accumulation
Expected debt at completion and repayment scenarios
North Carolina residents should compare net prices at public institutions before dismissing on-campus options. Applicants seeking a cost-focused shortlist can consult the most affordable speech pathology schools in North Carolina. A lower advertised price is not automatically the lower total cost if it adds prerequisite semesters, delays graduation, or requires costly travel.
Graduate SLP students commonly combine federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, institutional scholarships, graduate assistantships where available, savings, employer support, and external awards. Eligibility, award amounts, and assistantship availability vary by school and year, so students should treat aid offers as program-specific rather than assumed.
Graduate and professional students may also be eligible for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans after filing the FAFSA, provided they meet federal student-aid eligibility requirements and do not have an adverse credit history, according to Federal Student Aid. Graduate PLUS loans can cover remaining cost of attendance after other aid, but they should be used cautiously because borrowing more can materially raise repayment exposure.
To lower borrowing before accepting loans, take these steps:
File the FAFSA early and meet each university's priority-aid deadlines.
Request a complete cost-of-attendance estimate that includes clinical, travel, and health-insurance expenses.
Ask whether the department offers graduate assistantships, tuition remissions, or paid research roles and whether clinical schedules permit them.
Compare net cost and expected completion time across offers before accepting the largest loan package.
Check whether an employer, school district, or health system offers tuition assistance or service-linked support.
Students comparing lower-cost options beyond the state can review affordable speech pathology graduate programs in florida, while remembering that out-of-state tuition, relocation, and different licensure planning can change the apparent savings.
View the chart data as a table
Annual wage by percentile for Speech-Language Pathologists (North Carolina) (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025))
Category
Value
10th
60,800
25th
71,160
50th (median)
86,460
75th
103,020
90th
121,040
Master's programs generally require a completed bachelor's degree, academic transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and evidence that the applicant can succeed in graduate-level science and clinical coursework. Requirements vary by institution. A communication-sciences-and-disorders major is common but not always required; applicants from other majors may need a documented set of prerequisites.
Programs often look for coursework in communication disorders and foundational sciences. The specific list and minimum grades should be checked against each department's current admissions page.
Introduction to communication sciences and disorders, speech and hearing science, phonetics, language development, and audiology.
Anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms, plus relevant biological, physical, and social or behavioral science coursework.
Statistics or research methods, which supports evidence-based clinical decision-making.
Observation or exposure experiences when required or strongly recommended by the program.
Graduate admissions materials such as recommendations, a goal statement, and any school-specific interview or writing requirements.
A common mistake is applying based only on overall GPA without auditing prerequisite gaps. Career changers should obtain a written evaluation from admissions staff before paying for scattered courses, then choose a structured post-baccalaureate plan if several requirements are missing. Applicants exploring broader-access options should still verify outcomes and licensure fit when reviewing online speech language pathology programs.
A clinical master's curriculum builds from assessment and diagnosis to intervention planning and supervised practice. Course titles differ, but programs must prepare students to work with communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan and to document care ethically and effectively.
The following course areas are common because they connect directly to the knowledge students use in clinic.
Course area
What students learn
Why it matters professionally
Speech sound disorders and phonology
Assessment and treatment of articulation and phonological needs
Commonly relevant in pediatric and school-based practice
Language disorders
Developmental and acquired language assessment and intervention
Supports work with children and adults with communication impairments
Fluency, voice, and motor speech
Specialized evaluation and treatment approaches
Builds breadth beyond general language treatment
Dysphagia and medical SLP
Swallowing anatomy, assessment, and medical collaboration
Important for hospital, rehabilitation, and long-term-care interests
Research and evidence-based practice
Interpreting research, outcomes, and clinical evidence
Helps clinicians make defensible, current treatment decisions
Clinical practicum
Supervised direct service, documentation, and professional conduct
Turns classroom knowledge into monitored clinical competence
When comparing curricula, look beyond course titles. Ask how early clinical work begins, whether students encounter both pediatric and adult cases, and how the program teaches telepractice, culturally responsive assessment, and interdisciplinary care.
Most entry-level SLP master's programs prepare generalists rather than requiring a formal concentration. Students often shape a specialty through electives, clinical placements, faculty research, capstones, and their clinical fellowship or first job. This is important because a broad degree can still support focused career development.
Common areas of emphasis include pediatric language and speech sound disorders, autism and neurodiversity-affirming practice, bilingual and multicultural service delivery, voice, fluency, swallowing disorders, neurogenic communication disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, and early intervention. Medical interests often benefit from programs with adult and dysphagia placements, while school-focused students should seek robust pediatric and educational placements.
Do not assume a department's research specialty automatically means every student receives that clinical experience. Ask whether the focus appears in required courses, elective availability, clinic caseloads, and placement options. Students who are undecided should prioritize broad clinical exposure rather than locking into a narrow niche too early.
The best choice is the program that provides a viable route to your intended license and setting at a manageable net cost - not necessarily the highest-ranked or closest campus. Start with accreditation and licensure alignment, then compare the practical features that determine whether you can finish and enter the workforce on schedule.
Use this sequence to make a defensible comparison:
Confirm that the program's accreditation status and curriculum support your intended North Carolina licensure pathway.
Calculate net cost after grants and scholarships, including fees, housing, travel, prerequisite courses, and likely borrowing.
Ask who secures clinical placements, where students may be placed, and whether placements cover the populations you want to serve.
Compare cohort schedule, completion timeline, part-time options, and the feasibility of paid work during practicum.
Review available outcomes carefully, distinguishing graduation, examination, employment, and licensure measures rather than treating them as interchangeable.
Speak with admissions staff and current students about advising, placement support, remediation policies, and typical commuting expectations.
Red flags include vague answers about placements, no clear licensure disclosure for North Carolina, pressure to borrow before receiving a full cost estimate, and claims that online delivery eliminates in-person requirements. Rankings are useful for discovery, but a final decision should rest on verified fit, total cost, and professional eligibility.
View the chart data as a table
On-time completion rate (Source: ASHA EdFind / program reports)
Category
Value
<85%
0
85-90%
0
90-95%
0
95-99%
5
100%
1
The master's degree most directly supports a speech-language pathologist career after required supervised experience, examination, certification, and state licensure steps are completed. It can also support related roles in clinical coordination, research, assistive-technology services, and health or education administration later in a career, although employer requirements vary.
Career direction usually depends more on client population and setting than on the degree title itself.
Career direction
Typical focus
Helpful preparation during graduate school
Pediatric or school-based SLP
Language, speech sound, fluency, AAC, and educational participation
Pediatric practicum, school placements, and IEP-team exposure
Medical SLP
Swallowing, stroke, brain injury, voice, and acute or rehabilitation care
Adult medical placements and dysphagia-focused coursework
Early-intervention provider
Infant and toddler communication, family coaching, developmental support
Family-centered and home-based clinical experiences
Private-practice clinician
Outpatient assessment and therapy across selected populations
Broad diagnostic, documentation, and business-aware mentorship
Research or doctoral pathway
Communication-disorders research, teaching, and clinical science
Faculty research involvement and strong research-methods preparation
Students should avoid choosing a program based only on one desired specialty if the curriculum does not provide enough breadth to meet general professional standards. Early clinical exposure is the best way to test whether your initial preference - such as pediatric schools or adult medical care - fits your strengths.
View the chart data as a table
Total tuition + mandatory fees (resident, this ranking) (Source: Research.com SLP dataset)
Category
Value
20,000-25,000 USD
2
25,000-30,000 USD
1
30,000-35,000 USD
1
35,000-40,000 USD
0
40,000-45,000 USD
0
45,000-50,000 USD
0
50,000-55,000 USD
1
The national market outlook for speech-language pathologists is strong: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 12,500 openings projected annually over the decade. These are national projections, not a forecast of openings in a specific North Carolina city or a guarantee that every graduate will receive a preferred offer.
For North Carolina students, demand is likely to be experienced differently by setting and geography. Public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation providers, and early-intervention services may have different hiring cycles and needs. Rural and underserved areas can offer meaningful service opportunities, but students should investigate supervision, commute distance, caseload expectations, and compensation rather than assuming demand alone makes a job a good fit.
The profession is also adapting to telepractice and digital documentation, but technology does not remove the need for clinical judgment, supervised preparation, privacy safeguards, or state-specific practice rules. Build market readiness by completing varied placements, maintaining professional relationships with supervisors, and remaining open to more than one setting or region for a first position.
2027 Most Popular Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina
Investing in graduate education can affect your finances, career timeline, and eligibility for a licensed profession. Research.com's ranking is designed to make program comparisons more transparent by evaluating academic and research strength, cost, graduate outcomes, student profile, and institutional quality, then ranking programs according to the dimension named in the ranking.
For on-campus programs, Research.com uses data-driven, entropy-based weights that are set for the specific ranking. Online programs are evaluated through a distance-learning adaptation: campus-related indicators are excluded, while program structure and student support receive greater emphasis. Fixed online-ranking weights are graduation rate (30%), research (25%), institutional profile (15%), and students, cost, and course factors (10% each).
The Research.com team uses established higher-education data systems and checks multiple sources to improve the credibility and accuracy of the results. The ranking draws on the following sources:
IPEDS database, for institution and program reporting data.
Readers can use the ranking as a starting point to identify popular programs, compare institutional characteristics, and build a shorter list for deeper review. It should not replace checking current tuition, accreditation status, clinical-placement policies, and state licensure requirements directly with each school. Learn more about the approach on Research.com's methodology page.
Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) / Communication Sciences and Disorders, M.S.
51.56
/ 100
Final score
Program length
Two-year sequence (5-6 semesters incl. summer) for those with prerequisites; three-year sequence (7-8 semesters) for those without.
Required credits
60
Acceptance rate
77% (110 of 143 applications)
GPA range
3.01 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~9% (10 of 110 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: January 15th
Class size
49
Degrees granted
57
Application process
CSDCAS University online application
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: No; prerequisite courses offered; available online
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam; Capstone
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 0897a048-47ea-4168-b7b3-e2736a152396Valid 2019-2027
Verify accreditation
North Carolina Central University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 51.56/100, supported by 97% program completion rate and 90% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) / Communication Sciences and Disorders, M.S. is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2027, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2026 (in process).
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/14/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 0042392a-b6c2-4cf8-b85b-b849d5be8a65Valid 2023-2031
Last known review scheduled for February 2030
Verify accreditation
East Carolina University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 48.29/100, supported by 99% program completion rate and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology Track) is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2031, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2030.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/28/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID b118a9d9-0706-4bdd-b64e-96c7fa9940abValid 2022-2030
Last known review scheduled for August 2029
Verify accreditation
University of North Carolina at Greensboro earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 48.29/100, supported by 100% program completion rate and 92% Praxis pass rate. Its Speech-Language Pathology, M.A. (On-Campus) is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2030, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2029.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/21/2025)
Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences (MS-SLP)
47.20
/ 100
Final score
Program length
60-semester-hour program (clinical track), typically 2 years full-time
Acceptance rate
15% (61 of 399 applications)
GPA range
2.95 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~28% (17 of 61 offers)
Class size
24
Degrees granted
37
Application process
CSDCAS University online application
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: Yes
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID be6dcdc7-4f79-4a3f-a5c7-06cfa9171eb3Valid 2025-2032
Last known review scheduled for February 2031
Verify accreditation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 47.2/100, supported by 99% program completion rate and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences (MS-SLP) is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2032, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2031.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/31/2024)
Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders (speech-language pathology)
46.33
/ 100
Final score
Program length
Traditional Track: 5 semesters full-time; Leveler Track: 7 semesters full-time. Total 63 semester hours.
Required credits
63
Acceptance rate
80% (98 of 123 applications)
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~71% (70 of 98 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: February 1
Class size
30
Degrees granted
33
Application process
University online application
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: No; prerequisite courses offered; available online
Additional requirements
Capstone
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 2a47127e-cc9c-4070-8354-ba38b038f7e5Valid 2021-2029
Last known review scheduled for August 2028
Verify accreditation
Western Carolina University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 46.33/100, supported by 97% program completion rate and 91% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders (speech-language pathology) is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2029, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2028.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 09/11/2025)
Undergraduate prerequisites required: Yes; prerequisite courses offered; available online
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID e3f14289-e869-419c-9a4b-fadb1232f5a1Valid 2023-2031
Last known review scheduled for August 2030
Verify accreditation
Appalachian State University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 45.24/100, supported by 97% program completion rate and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2031, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2030.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 08/27/2025)
Frequently asked questions about speech pathology degree in North Carolina
Do I need a master's degree to become a speech-language pathologist in North Carolina?
Yes. A bachelor's degree alone does not qualify someone for independent SLP practice. You generally need a qualifying graduate degree, supervised professional experience, required examination or certification steps, and North Carolina licensure approval.
Should I choose a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders?
It is often the most direct preparation for a master's program, but it is not the only route. Students with another major may apply after completing required prerequisite coursework.
Can I complete an SLP degree fully online?
Academic coursework may be online or hybrid, but clinical education requires supervised in-person experiences. Confirm that the program can support placements and licensure planning in North Carolina.
How long does the full path take?
A typical route is about four years for a bachelor's degree plus roughly two years for a full-time master's degree, followed by any required supervised professional phase before full licensure.
Is a speech pathology degree worth the cost?
It can be a sound investment for students committed to clinical SLP work, but compare net cost, borrowing, program duration, likelihood of timely completion, and the settings where you intend to work. The national median annual wage was $97,870 in May 2025, according to BLS, but individual pay varies.
What is the most important factor when comparing programs?
Verify that the program supports your North Carolina licensure path and provides dependable clinical education. After that, compare total net cost, placement process, timeline, and fit with your preferred client population.
See What Experts Have To Say About Studying Speech Pathology
ASHA EdFind - Accredited Speech-Language Pathology Programs Used to verify CAA accreditation or candidacy status for graduate SLP programs. https://find.asha.org/ed/
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Used to verify interstate practice privileges and participating states for speech-language pathologists. https://aslpcompact.com/compact-map/
North Carolina Central University - Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) / Communication Sciences and Disorders, M.S. Official program page (curriculum, tuition, and admissions). https://www.nccu.edu/chas/communication-sciences
