Choosing a speech pathology program in Illinois means balancing licensure eligibility, clinical preparation, debt, and access to employers - not simply selecting the lowest tuition. This guide accompanies the 2027 Most Valuable Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Illinois, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering. Compare degree routes, costs, admissions, delivery formats, Illinois licensure steps, and career value so you can decide whether a graduate SLP degree fits your goals.
Key findings about speech pathology degrees in Illinois
Illinois practice as a speech-language pathologist generally requires a graduate degree from a CAA-accredited program, supervised professional experience, and state licensure; a bachelor's degree alone is not the entry credential for independent SLP practice (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; ASHA).
Nationally, speech-language pathologists had a $97,870 median annual wage in May 2025, and BLS projects 17% employment growth from 2025 to 2035 - evidence of demand, but not a guarantee of an individual graduate's pay or placement (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The strongest value comparison is total cost versus completion and licensure readiness: public in-state programs can reduce borrowing, while Chicago-area clinical access, research fit, and program schedule may justify a different choice for some students.
What can I expect from a speech pathology degree in Illinois?
For most future clinicians, the relevant Illinois degree is a Master of Science or Master of Arts in speech-language pathology, communication sciences and disorders, or a closely named field. These programs prepare students to assess and treat communication, language, speech, voice, swallowing, and cognitive-communication disorders across the lifespan. A clinical doctorate is less common for entry-level practice, while a bachelor's degree is usually preparation for graduate school or support roles rather than SLP licensure.
A master's program fits students committed to direct clinical practice in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation, early-intervention agencies, or private practice. Applicants who want to work in audiology should choose an AuD route instead; applicants primarily interested in research or university teaching may prefer a PhD. Career changers can enter many master's programs, but often need prerequisite coursework before beginning graduate clinical training.
Illinois matters because professional practice is regulated at the state level. Before enrolling, confirm that the program's curriculum, clinical education, and accreditation status support Illinois licensure and ASHA certification goals. If you may relocate, check the destination state's rules as well; a degree can be academically strong yet require additional documentation or coursework for another jurisdiction.
Where can I work with a speech pathology degree in Illinois?
Illinois offers a broad clinical market because its large school systems, medical centers, rehabilitation providers, and early-intervention networks serve children and adults with varied communication needs. Chicago creates the greatest concentration of hospital and specialty-care opportunities, while central and southern Illinois can offer school-based and community-health placements with different commuting and clinical-site considerations.
The setting you want should influence program selection because clinical placements, electives, and faculty expertise can shape your initial experience. Common workplaces include:
Public and private schools, where SLPs support students' educational access through evaluations, therapy, and individualized education plans.
Hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehabilitation facilities, where adult neurogenic disorders, dysphagia, voice, and acute-care communication needs may be central.
Early-intervention programs and pediatric clinics, where family coaching and developmental language work are especially important.
Skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and private practices, which may provide adult care, flexible caseloads, or specialized services.
Universities and research centers, particularly for graduates who add doctoral preparation or pursue research-oriented roles.
Ask each program where students are placed, whether placements are assigned or student-arranged, how far students typically travel, and whether specialized medical placements are competitive. A Chicago campus does not automatically mean every student receives a hospital placement, just as a regional program may have strong local school partnerships.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $97,870 for speech-language pathologists in May 2025, equivalent to $47.05 per hour. This is a national occupation-wide median, not an Illinois starting-salary figure. Pay can differ substantially by setting, experience, employer, schedule, productivity expectations, benefits, and whether the role is school-year or year-round.
For a more detailed look at compensation differences by specialty and employment setting, review this speech language pathology salary guide. Use salary information cautiously when evaluating return on investment: compare likely entry pay in your target Illinois market with tuition, living costs, foregone earnings during full-time study, and likely borrowing - not with the national median alone.
Pay factor
Why it changes the decision
Employment setting
Medical, school, contract, and private-practice roles can have different wage structures, benefits, and schedules.
Metro area and commute
Chicago-area opportunities may offer a larger employer base, but housing, transportation, and competition can affect net value.
Experience and specialization
Advanced clinical expertise, supervisory responsibility, bilingual capacity, and medical experience may affect competitiveness over time.
Academic calendar
School-based compensation must be interpreted alongside contract length, summer work options, and benefits.
The programs below are not interchangeable simply because they lead toward the same profession. Their clearest differences are location, degree structure, clinical orientation, research environment, and the population of students they are designed to serve. Applicants should verify current accreditation, cohort requirements, tuition, and clinical policies directly before making an enrollment decision.
Illinois State University: Illinois State's Communication Sciences and Disorders program is based in Normal, positioning it as a practical option for students seeking a central Illinois campus rather than a Chicago-area program. Its department-level focus on communication sciences and disorders can suit students who want an integrated academic and clinical pathway while building regional school and healthcare connections.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: UIUC's Speech and Hearing Science unit sits within a research-intensive university environment and connects speech, language, hearing, and developmental science. It may fit applicants who want clinical preparation alongside opportunities to explore research questions or pursue later doctoral study.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: SIUE's graduate SLP program gives students access to the Metro East labor market near St. Louis while remaining an Illinois public-university option. This location can matter for students seeking clinical networks that span schools, health systems, and community agencies in southwestern Illinois.
Western Illinois University: Western Illinois University offers a Speech Pathology and Audiology academic home in Macomb, giving students a regional-campus alternative to larger metropolitan programs. It may appeal to applicants who prefer a smaller-city setting and want to consider how rural and regional service needs shape clinical experience.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale: SIU Carbondale's master's pathway in communication disorders is housed within health-professions education, a structure that can be relevant for students interested in interprofessional healthcare exposure. Its southern Illinois location is especially worth considering for applicants whose personal or career plans are tied to the region.
Northern Illinois University: NIU's Applied Health and Communication Sciences department places communication disorders within a broader applied-health context. Students seeking a northern Illinois public option should examine its clinical-placement network and commute expectations, particularly if they plan to live outside DeKalb.
Elmhurst University: Elmhurst's MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders is a private-university option in the Chicago metropolitan area. Its location can be attractive to students who want proximity to a dense clinical market, but they should compare the institution's net price and aid package - not sticker tuition alone - against public alternatives.
Rush University: The listed Rush program is a Doctor of Audiology program, not a master's degree in speech-language pathology. It is most relevant to applicants comparing communication-disorders professions and deciding whether their goal is audiology rather than SLP practice; it should not be treated as an interchangeable SLP master's option.
Northwestern University: Northwestern's Communication Sciences and Disorders department combines clinical-profession education with a substantial communication-science academic setting in the Chicago area. It can be particularly relevant for applicants who value access to specialized urban clinical and research environments and can assess the private-program cost against expected aid and career goals.
A common mistake is to interpret a prestigious location or broad department as proof of a better personal fit. Instead, compare the clinical populations available, required sequence, faculty interests, aid offer, and whether the program supports the exact credential you need.
A full-time master's degree in speech-language pathology commonly takes about two academic years, though the actual calendar can be longer when summer terms, prerequisite deficiencies, or part-time enrollment are involved. The degree timeline includes academic coursework and supervised clinical education; completing classes alone does not complete the pathway to Illinois practice.
Students entering with a bachelor's degree outside communication sciences and disorders may need one or more terms of foundational courses in phonetics, language development, anatomy and physiology, audiology, statistics, or speech and hearing science. That bridge can be worthwhile for career changers, but it changes both cost and time to employment.
Programs marketed as fast-track options deserve careful scrutiny. Explore accelerated speech pathology programs only after confirming that the pace still permits required clinical education, that placements are realistic for your location, and that the program meets accreditation and licensure expectations.
An online or hybrid SLP degree can reduce relocation and commuting burdens, but it is not fully remote in the practical sense. Students still need supervised clinical experiences, and the school must arrange or approve placements that meet program standards. On-campus programs may make it easier to access university clinics, simulation resources, faculty mentoring, and local placement networks.
Format
Often works best for
Key caution
On-campus
Students able to relocate or commute who want routine in-person faculty and clinic access.
Include housing, parking, transportation, and reduced work hours in the total-cost comparison.
Online or hybrid
Working adults or place-bound learners with dependable technology and local placement possibilities.
Do not assume the school can secure a placement near your home or that every state's rules are satisfied.
Part-time
Students who need a longer academic schedule for work or caregiving.
A longer timeline can raise total living costs and delay full-time professional earnings.
For Illinois residents comparing distance formats, Affordable Online Speech Pathology Master's Programs can help identify additional cost-focused options. Before applying, ask whether synchronous attendance is required, how clinical sites are approved, who pays for travel, and whether the program has experience placing students in Illinois.
There is no single average cost that accurately represents every Illinois SLP degree because tuition varies by public or private status, residency, credit load, clinical fees, and financial aid. The number that matters is the net total cost to completion: tuition and mandatory fees plus living, travel, health insurance, materials, background checks, and lost earnings, minus grants and scholarships.
Public universities may offer lower published tuition to Illinois residents, while private nonprofit universities can sometimes become competitive after institutional grants. Out-of-state status, a longer prerequisite sequence, and unpaid clinical time can materially change the comparison. Students focused on minimizing published price should also compare the cheapest speech pathology schools in illinois, then verify whether low tuition aligns with their completion timeline and professional goals.
Cost item
How to compare it
Tuition and mandatory fees
Request the current graduate rate, expected credit total, and any differential clinical or program charges.
Residency classification
Confirm whether Illinois residency affects the rate and whether your classification can change during enrollment.
Clinical education expenses
Ask about travel, parking, professional liability coverage, health requirements, and placement-related costs.
Opportunity cost
Estimate reduced work income during semesters and full-time placements, especially in accelerated programs.
Start financial-aid planning with the FAFSA and each university's graduate financial-aid office. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans may be available to eligible graduate students, subject to federal annual and aggregate limits. Graduate students may also be eligible for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans if they meet federal student-aid eligibility requirements and do not have an adverse credit history; borrowing capacity is not the same as affordability (Federal Student Aid).
Illinois applicants should also investigate institutional scholarships, graduate assistantships, tuition waivers, departmental awards, employer tuition assistance, and workforce-related support. Assistantships can lower direct cost and add relevant experience, but they may be limited and can conflict with the intensive clinical schedule of an SLP program.
A practical funding review should separate gift aid from loans and identify when each award is renewed. Before accepting debt, compare the loan's projected monthly payment under several repayment scenarios with a conservative entry-level salary estimate, not the highest salary you can find online.
Submit the FAFSA early and meet each program's separate scholarship and assistantship deadlines.
Ask whether grants, assistantships, or tuition discounts continue during clinical-practicum terms and summer enrollment.
Request a written cost-of-attendance estimate that includes program-specific clinical expenses.
Compare aid offers by net borrowing needed for the entire degree, rather than by first-year scholarship amount.
View the chart data as a table
Annual wage by percentile for Speech-Language Pathologists (Illinois) (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025))
Category
Value
10th
60,870
25th
76,590
50th (median)
95,080
75th
108,330
90th
123,800
Admissions requirements differ by school, but Illinois SLP master's programs commonly expect a bachelor's degree, transcripts, prerequisite preparation in communication sciences and disorders or equivalent subjects, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and evidence that the applicant can succeed in graduate-level science and clinical coursework. Some schools accept non-CSD majors with prerequisites completed before or during enrollment; others expect them before admission.
Applicants should not equate "less selective" with "easier to complete" or "better for licensure." This overview of SLP master's programs may help applicants frame their options, but fit should still rest on prerequisite alignment, clinical standards, finances, and accreditation.
Before applying, build a prerequisite audit against every target program. Statistics, anatomy and physiology, phonetics, language development, audiology, speech science, and observation requirements are frequently handled differently across institutions. Transfer credit may be accepted for foundational courses, but graduate clinical credit is often more restricted because programs must verify competency and placement quality.
SLP curricula combine scientific foundations with diagnosis and intervention. Course titles vary, but a CAA-aligned master's education generally addresses communication processes and disorders across populations, ethical practice, evidence-based decision-making, and supervised clinical work.
The following course areas are useful to compare because they reveal whether a program supports your intended setting and patient population:
Speech sound disorders, phonological disorders, and motor speech disorders.
Child language development and developmental language disorders.
Adult language disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, and neurogenic conditions.
Voice, fluency, resonance, and swallowing disorders.
Audiology, aural rehabilitation, anatomy, neuroscience, and speech science.
Clinical methods, assessment, counseling, ethics, research methods, and supervised practicum.
Do not choose based only on course names. Ask whether medical and school-based content is required or elective, when students begin seeing clients, and whether bilingual, augmentative and alternative communication, dysphagia, or autism-related training is available if those areas matter to you.
Most entry-level SLP master's degrees are broad generalist credentials because graduates must be prepared for a wide scope of practice. Specialization usually occurs through electives, clinical placements, faculty research, continuing education, fellowship experience, and later employment rather than through a separate professional-license track.
Illinois applicants can look for emphasis areas that match their goals, including pediatric language and literacy, autism and neurodevelopmental conditions, bilingual and multicultural practice, augmentative and alternative communication, voice, fluency, swallowing, adult neurogenic disorders, and medical SLP. The key question is not whether a school advertises an interest area, but whether students can obtain meaningful coursework and supervised experience in it.
For example, a student who expects to work in acute rehabilitation should ask about dysphagia instruction and adult medical placements. A future school clinician should ask about school-based practicum availability, special education collaboration, and preparation for educational environments. Avoid treating one elective as a specialization; clinical competency develops through repeated supervised practice.
The best Illinois program is the one that makes you eligible for the career you want at a cost and pace you can sustain. Rankings are a useful starting point, but they cannot determine whether a school will provide the clinical sites, schedule, support, or financial fit that your situation requires.
Use this sequence to compare finalists:
Confirm current CAA accreditation and ask whether the curriculum supports Illinois licensure and your intended state of practice.
Calculate total net cost to completion, including prerequisites, clinical travel, living costs, and income you may forgo.
Compare clinical-placement process, settings, travel radius, supervision, and support for your intended population.
Review program length, required summer terms, attendance expectations, and whether work or caregiving is realistic during practicum.
Ask for recent program-specific outcomes where available, such as completion, Praxis, employment, and licensure data, including the reporting period and cohort size.
Speak with admissions staff and, if possible, current students about advising, remediation policies, placement logistics, and financial surprises.
Red flags include unclear accreditation information, vague answers about out-of-area placements, pressure to borrow before you receive a complete aid offer, and claims that imply a degree automatically guarantees a license or job. For perspective beyond Illinois, the Affordable Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Florida illustrates how state location can change the cost and program comparison.
A master's degree and licensure pathway can lead to direct-care, educational, medical, and administrative careers. Most graduates begin as clinical fellows under required supervision before moving toward independent practice, subject to state rules and employer requirements.
Career path
Typical focus
Program-selection implication
School-based SLP
Educational communication needs, collaboration with educators, and student services.
Prioritize school practicum opportunities and preparation for pediatric caseloads.
Medical or rehabilitation SLP
Adult neurogenic disorders, swallowing, acute care, and rehabilitation.
Ask about adult medical placements, dysphagia content, and healthcare partnerships.
Early-intervention or pediatric clinician
Developmental communication, caregiver coaching, and family-centered practice.
Look for infant, toddler, preschool, and family-focused clinical opportunities.
Private-practice clinician or owner
Direct services, scheduling, documentation, and possible entrepreneurship.
Seek strong clinical breadth first; business preparation is usually an added rather than core element.
Researcher or faculty member
Research, teaching, and advanced scholarship.
Consider research mentorship and plan for doctoral education beyond the clinical master's degree.
Career fit matters more than chasing a single setting's salary. A student who wants pediatric schools may receive stronger value from reliable school-based preparation than from paying extra for a medical-placement opportunity they do not plan to use.
View the chart data as a table
Total tuition + mandatory fees (resident, this ranking) (Source: Research.com SLP dataset)
Category
Value
20,000-40,000 USD
6
40,000-60,000 USD
0
60,000-80,000 USD
1
80,000-100,000 USD
1
100,000-120,000 USD
1
The job outlook is favorable nationally, though local hiring conditions still vary by employer and setting. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of speech-language pathologists to grow 17% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 12,500 openings projected annually on average over the decade. These national projections indicate broad demand, not a count of Illinois openings or a guarantee for any graduate.
For Illinois students, demand should be assessed through the settings where they intend to work. School districts may recruit around academic-year cycles; hospitals and post-acute providers may prioritize medical experience; and bilingual capacity can be valuable in communities with diverse language needs. Clinical placements are therefore more than a graduation requirement - they can help students test a setting, build references, and understand local hiring expectations.
Technology is also changing documentation, telepractice, augmentative communication tools, and assessment workflows. These tools support care but do not replace the clinical judgment, relationship-building, and regulated professional responsibilities of an SLP. Ask programs how students learn telepractice ethics, privacy, evidence-based technology use, and communication access for diverse clients.
2027 Most Valuable Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Illinois
Investing in graduate education can affect a student's finances, career timeline, and professional eligibility for years. Research.com developed this ranking to make program comparison more transparent, using consistent data sources and a multidimensional approach rather than relying on reputation alone.
Rankings evaluate academic and research strength, cost, graduate outcomes, student profile, and institutional quality, then rank programs by the dimension named in the ranking. On-campus rankings use data-driven, entropy-based weights tailored to the ranking. Online-program evaluations use a distance-learning methodology that excludes campus-related indicators and applies fixed weights: graduation rate 30%, research 25%, institutional profile 15%, and students, cost, and course factors 10% each.
The ranking draws on the following sources:
IPEDS database, for institution-level enrollment, completion, price, and related reporting.
Readers can use the ranking to narrow a long list, compare value signals, and identify questions for admissions offices. It is not a substitute for checking current tuition, CAA accreditation, clinical-placement policies, and Illinois licensure eligibility directly with each school. More detail on the approach is available through Research.com's methodology page.
Master's Program in Speech-Language Pathology (MS in SLP)
73.75
/ 100
Final score
Program length
Two years (five semesters, fall start)
Required credits
52
Acceptance rate
63% (111 of 175 applications)
GPA range
3.05 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~27% (30 of 111 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: January 15 (CSDCAS application must be completed and verified by the deadline)
Class size
39
Degrees granted
36
Application process
CSDCAS
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 5f7e3ec8-4c34-49f8-8833-be510a98c329Valid 2021-2029
Last known review scheduled for 2028
Verify accreditation
Illinois State University earned a Research.com Value Score of 73.75/100, supported by $23,072 total tuition + mandatory fees and 99% Praxis pass rate. Its Master's Program in Speech-Language Pathology (MS in SLP) 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 08/04/2026)
Clinical Master of Arts (M.A.) in Speech-Language Pathology
70.81
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 academic years + 2 summers (6 semesters)
Required credits
54 graduate credit hours minimum
Acceptance rate
38% (66 of 176 applications)
GPA range
3.60 - 4.10
Offers with funding
~6% (4 of 66 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: January 5th
Class size
46
Degrees granted
25
Application process
University online application
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: No; prerequisite courses offered; available online
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 37cedaf1-7c1e-4e20-a930-fd05d4f6f972Valid 2019-2027
Last known review scheduled for February 2027
Verify accreditation
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earned a Research.com Value Score of 70.81/100, supported by $29,348 total tuition + mandatory fees and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Clinical Master of Arts (M.A.) in Speech-Language Pathology is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2027, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2027.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/29/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID f89eb593-a579-4454-a301-2b85ef0c44f6Valid 2019-2027
Verify accreditation
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earned a Research.com Value Score of 69.47/100, supported by $23,058 total tuition + mandatory fees and 98% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology 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 10/15/2024)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 83160332-9883-4eca-8bfb-01b32308ab8fValid 2025-2033
Last known review scheduled for February 2032
Verify accreditation
Western Illinois University earned a Research.com Value Score of 65.2/100, supported by $27,180 total tuition + mandatory fees and 98% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech Pathology (Speech-Language Pathology), residential is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2033, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2032.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/25/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID f76447a5-b13f-428a-aae1-120439fa7f7cValid 2025-2033
Last known review scheduled for February 2032
Verify accreditation
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earned a Research.com Value Score of 64.93/100, supported by $29,610 total tuition + mandatory fees and 88% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2033, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2032.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/15/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 256f2e2b-c715-4fa9-aa70-117c6a0f55ccValid 2026-2034
Last known review scheduled for August 2033
Verify accreditation
Northern Illinois University earned a Research.com Value Score of 64.26/100, supported by $33,134 total tuition + mandatory fees and 98% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology (residential) is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2034, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2033.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/21/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID 5cf7c5cd-45e4-4289-b782-9c09ffd10596Valid 2022-2030
Last known review scheduled for August 2029
Verify accreditation
Elmhurst University earned a Research.com Value Score of 47.69/100, supported by $72,000 total tuition + mandatory fees and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders 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 08/21/2026)
# 8 position
Rush University
Master
Master of Science (MS) in Speech-Language Pathology
45.84
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 years
Required credits
67
Acceptance rate
43% (104 of 241 applications)
GPA range
3.63 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~14% (15 of 104 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: January 1
Class size
38
Degrees granted
20
Application process
CSDCAS
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: Yes
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam; Praxis
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID c981691d-a8ca-4f36-8755-037a453e7550Valid 2022-2029
Last known review scheduled for February 2029
Verify accreditation
Rush University earned a Research.com Value Score of 45.84/100, supported by $85,664 total tuition + mandatory fees and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science (MS) in Speech-Language Pathology is listed by ASHA EdFind as CAA-accredited through 2029, with the most recently listed accreditation review scheduled for 2029.
Admissions data from
ASHA EdFind
(updated 10/24/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID f76f82e7-3d0e-4ceb-bbc9-d1f63b679e47Valid 2024-2032
Last known review scheduled for February 2031
Verify accreditation
Northwestern University earned a Research.com Value Score of 42.13/100, supported by $119,000 total tuition + mandatory fees and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning (MS SLL) 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 10/29/2025)
Frequently asked questions about speech pathology degree in Illinois
Do I need a master's degree to become a speech-language pathologist in Illinois?
Generally, yes. Independent SLP practice requires graduate education, supervised experience, and Illinois licensure requirements. Confirm current requirements with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation before enrolling.
Is a CAA-accredited program important?
Yes. CAA accreditation is a central consideration for students pursuing ASHA certification and state licensure. Check the program's current accreditation status directly, because status and conditions can change.
Can I enter an SLP master's program with a non-CSD bachelor's degree?
Often, yes, but you may need prerequisite courses. Each school decides which courses it accepts and whether they must be completed before admission.
Can I complete an Illinois SLP degree fully online?
Coursework may be online or hybrid, but supervised clinical experiences require real-world placements. Confirm where placements occur, who approves them, and whether the format supports Illinois licensure.
How long does the Illinois licensing path take after graduation?
The timeline depends on your program completion date, supervised professional experience, examination and application processing, and current state rules. Ask the licensing authority and program for the current sequence.
Is an SLP degree worth the cost?
It can be a sound investment for students committed to licensed clinical practice, particularly when borrowing is manageable and the program supports timely completion. Compare total net cost, likely entry earnings, career setting, and personal opportunity cost before deciding.
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/
O*NET OnLine - Speech-Language Pathologists Used to verify common responsibilities, professional skills, work settings, and education expectations for SLPs. https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1127.00
Western Illinois University - Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech Pathology (Speech-Language Pathology), residential Official program page (curriculum, tuition, and admissions). https://www.wiu.edu/cofac/spa/graduate.php
