Choosing a speech pathology program in Massachusetts means balancing licensure eligibility, clinical training, debt, and access to a strong healthcare-and-school employment market. This guide explains degree types, costs, admissions, careers, and program comparisons for prospective clinicians and career changers. It will feature a 2027 Most Valuable Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Massachusetts created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about which programs are worth considering.
Key findings about speech pathology degrees in Massachusetts
Practicing as a speech-language pathologist in Massachusetts generally requires graduate-level preparation and state licensure; a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders alone does not qualify someone for independent SLP practice.
The national median annual wage for speech-language pathologists was $97,870 in May 2025, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, supporting demand but not guaranteeing an individual job offer or salary.
Value depends on more than tuition: compare CAA accreditation, required clinical education, time away from work, aid eligibility, cohort progression, and whether the curriculum meets Massachusetts licensing requirements.
What can I expect from a speech pathology degree in Massachusetts?
Speech pathology usually refers to the education pathway for becoming a speech-language pathologist (SLP), a clinician who assesses and treats communication, swallowing, voice, speech, language, cognitive-communication, and related disorders. In Massachusetts, the typical professional-entry credential is a master's degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).
A bachelor's degree is useful for preparation, research support, behavioral-health support, or certain school and healthcare roles, but it is not the terminal clinical credential. The master's degree is the practical choice for applicants seeking Massachusetts SLP licensure, a clinical fellowship, and roles in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation, early intervention, or private practice.
Most Massachusetts master's programs combine academic study with supervised clinical education. Students should expect coursework in language disorders, speech sound disorders, dysphagia, assessment, research methods, professional ethics, and evidence-based intervention. Clinical assignments may involve university clinics, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation settings, or community partners.
The decision is strongest for students who enjoy direct patient interaction, careful documentation, family collaboration, and lifelong clinical learning. It may be a less suitable investment for someone who wants to work exclusively in research, prefers minimal client contact, or cannot accommodate supervised daytime clinical placements. Those applicants may prefer a research-focused degree, public health program, education role, or another allied-health pathway.
Where can I work with a speech pathology degree in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts offers a concentrated market of academic medical centers, community hospitals, public school districts, rehabilitation organizations, early-intervention providers, and long-term-care facilities. Boston's healthcare and higher-education concentration can expand placement and networking options, while suburban, western, and central parts of the state may offer different school-based and community-care opportunities.
The table summarizes common settings and the work patterns students should consider before choosing a program.
Often suits clinicians who want to work with children and follow an academic-year calendar; educator-licensure requirements may also apply.
Hospitals and outpatient clinics
Stroke, brain injury, swallowing, voice, cancer care, acute and outpatient rehabilitation
Best for students who want medical placements and comfort with fast-paced interdisciplinary teams.
Early intervention
Birth-to-three developmental communication and caregiver coaching
Appeals to clinicians who value home- and community-based services, travel, and family-centered practice.
Skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities
Dysphagia, cognitive-communication, motor speech, post-acute recovery
Can provide adult medical experience but may involve productivity expectations and variable schedules.
Private practice and telepractice
Specialized evaluation and treatment across age groups
Usually becomes more realistic after gaining experience, building referral networks, and understanding payer rules.
Massachusetts school employment can require credentials beyond clinical SLP licensure. Applicants who expect to work in public schools should ask each program whether its curriculum and advising support the relevant Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements.
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. That is a national occupational median, not a Massachusetts starting-pay estimate, and it combines workers across experience levels, work settings, schedules, and geographic markets.
Compensation in Massachusetts can differ substantially between school districts, hospital systems, outpatient practices, and contract roles. Medical settings may have different schedules and benefits from school-based positions, while school work may appeal to candidates who prioritize a predictable calendar and pension or union structures where available. Review local job postings and collective bargaining agreements instead of assuming that a national figure will translate directly into an offer.
The most useful salary comparison considers the full role, not base pay alone. The following factors can materially change take-home value:
Whether the position is salaried, hourly, per diem, contract-based, or self-employed.
Health insurance, retirement contributions, paid leave, continuing-education support, and malpractice coverage.
Clinical fellowship supervision, caseload expectations, travel requirements, and billable-productivity standards.
Whether a school role follows a shorter annual work calendar than a year-round medical position.
For a broader role-by-role comparison, review this guide to speech therapist salary options. Use compensation evidence alongside debt, program length, and the setting in which you expect to practice.
Programs in this group share the central goal of preparing students for graduate clinical practice, but they differ in delivery structure, institutional setting, clinical emphasis, and opportunities to connect learning with healthcare or research. Applicants should verify current course sequences, accreditation status, placement procedures, and cohort requirements directly with each institution because these details can change.
The following highlights focus on concrete program characteristics that can help distinguish options rather than treating institutional reputation as a proxy for fit.
Worcester State University: Worcester State's M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology is structured as a 60-credit graduate program. Its location in central Massachusetts can be especially practical for applicants seeking a campus-based pathway outside the Boston core while still needing access to supervised placements across schools and healthcare settings.
University of Massachusetts Amherst: UMass Amherst houses speech-language and hearing sciences within its public health sciences environment, giving the program a clear health-sciences context. This may suit applicants who want to connect communication disorders with population health, research, and interdisciplinary health training rather than selecting a program centered only on clinical coursework.
Northeastern University: Northeastern's Communication Sciences and Disorders program is situated within the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. That health-professions setting can matter for students seeking exposure to interprofessional education and Boston-area clinical networks, although applicants should ask how individual placements are assigned and whether their preferred medical setting is available.
MGH Institute of Health Professions: MGH Institute of Health Professions is a graduate health-professions institution, a structure that places communication sciences and disorders students alongside other clinically oriented graduate learners. It is a compelling option for applicants who prioritize an explicitly healthcare-focused academic environment and want to investigate clinical opportunities connected to the Mass General Brigham ecosystem.
Boston University: Boston University's M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology is offered through the Sargent College department of speech, language, and hearing sciences. Students looking for a large research-university setting should examine its clinical education sequence and specialty resources closely, particularly if they want to align elective study with pediatric, adult, voice, swallowing, or bilingual service interests.
A practical comparison should not stop with these distinctions. Ask every school how it supports students when placements, clinic schedules, commuting, childcare, or clinical-site availability affect progression. A program is valuable only if its structure is realistic for your finances and responsibilities.
A full-time master's degree in speech-language pathology commonly takes about two academic years, often including summer study and required clinical education. Actual duration depends on prerequisite completion, course sequencing, clinic availability, and whether the student enters with an undergraduate major in communication sciences and disorders.
Applicants changing fields may need leveling coursework before beginning graduate clinical courses. These prerequisites can add time and cost, even when a university advertises a two-year master's sequence. Part-time options can help working adults manage income and caregiving responsibilities, but clinical placements are frequently scheduled during business hours and may limit the flexibility that a part-time label suggests.
After graduation, the path to independent practice is not necessarily complete. Massachusetts licensure applicants should plan for required post-degree supervised experience and examination steps as determined by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Students seeking the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence should also review ASHA's current clinical fellowship and certification rules, which are separate from state licensure.
Accelerated options can reduce opportunity cost only when they preserve clinical quality and fit your schedule. Compare accelerated speech pathology degree programs online carefully with campus programs, paying particular attention to whether required placements can be completed in Massachusetts.
For speech-language pathology, "online" rarely means entirely remote. A distance program may deliver lectures and discussions online while requiring in-person skills labs, intensive campus sessions, local clinical placements, and supervised patient contact. On-campus programs generally make face-to-face faculty access and campus clinic participation easier, but they may require relocation or regular commuting.
This comparison identifies the questions that matter most for a Massachusetts applicant.
Factor
Online or hybrid format
On-campus format
Coursework access
May reduce commuting and allow asynchronous study for some courses.
Usually follows scheduled in-person meetings and campus-based learning.
Clinical education
Still requires approved local sites; students should ask who secures placements and whether travel is required.
May offer easier access to university clinics and regional partners, though placements are not automatically guaranteed.
Best fit
Working adults with strong self-management and reliable local placement options.
Students who prefer structured in-person instruction, campus community, and direct access to local faculty.
Licensure risk
Must be evaluated carefully for Massachusetts requirements, residency expectations, and CAA accreditation.
Also requires accreditation and licensure review, but course and clinic logistics may be more transparent.
The most common mistake is choosing a program based on online convenience without confirming clinical logistics in writing. Students should seek written answers about clinical-site responsibility, required travel, intensive-campus attendance, state authorization, and support if a placement falls through. If flexibility is your priority, start with programs listed among the asha accredited online SLP programs, then independently verify that the program meets your Massachusetts practice goals.
A single statewide "average cost" can be misleading because Massachusetts programs vary sharply by public versus private tuition policies, residency status, required credits, summer enrollment, and clinical fees. Published tuition also may exclude health insurance, commuting, background checks, assessment materials, professional memberships, technology, and lost wages during full-time clinical semesters.
Rather than treating a low annual tuition figure as the lowest-cost option, calculate the estimated total cost of attendance for the entire program. The table shows why two programs with similar tuition can produce very different financial outcomes.
Cost factor
Why it changes value
What to request
Resident versus nonresident tuition
Public-university pricing can differ substantially by residency classification.
Your expected tuition classification for every term.
Program length and summer terms
More enrolled terms can raise tuition, fees, housing, and opportunity cost.
A term-by-term plan through graduation.
Clinical placement travel
Required sites may involve parking, transit, mileage, or temporary housing costs.
Typical placement geography and student-paid expenses.
Foregone earnings
Full-time clinics can reduce the ability to work while enrolled.
Expected weekly class and clinic schedule by semester.
Scholarships and aid
Grant aid lowers net price; loans merely shift payment into the future.
Program-specific aid data and renewal conditions.
Applicants looking for a lower-price benchmark should review the affordable speech pathology school in Massachusetts resource, then compare net cost after aid rather than relying on advertised tuition alone. A private nonprofit program can still be competitive if aid, completion timing, and reduced relocation costs materially lower total borrowing.
Graduate SLP students typically combine institutional scholarships, federal loans, outside scholarships, employer assistance, and personal savings. Eligibility differs by citizenship status, enrollment level, financial need, academic progress, and program participation, so students should submit the FAFSA early and ask each school about its own graduate aid deadlines.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans may be available to eligible graduate students, subject to annual and aggregate limits. Eligible graduate and professional students enrolled at least half time in an eligible program may also apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan; approval generally requires a credit check, and the borrowing limit is cost of attendance minus other financial aid (Federal Student Aid). Borrow only after comparing the program's full cost and expected repayment burden.
Massachusetts residents should also investigate state-administered aid, professional associations, hospital-system scholarships, school-district tuition support, and service-related awards when available. These funds can be competitive and may have work commitments or restrictions.
Use this sequence to avoid common funding mistakes:
Submit the FAFSA and confirm each school's priority deadline.
Request a written cost-of-attendance estimate covering all required terms, including summer and clinical semesters.
Separate grants and scholarships from loans when comparing award letters.
Ask whether institutional awards renew automatically or depend on GPA, enrollment, or clinical progression.
Estimate repayment before accepting Graduate PLUS or private loans.
Annual wage by percentile for Speech-Language Pathologists (Massachusetts) (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025))
Category
Value
10th
71,030
25th
83,090
50th (median)
101,310
75th
119,100
90th
129,730
Most master's programs expect a bachelor's degree and foundational coursework in communication sciences and disorders or closely related subjects. Applicants without an undergraduate CSD major are often eligible, but they may need a post-baccalaureate leveling sequence before or alongside graduate study. Requirements vary by institution, so a course-by-course transcript review is more reliable than assuming a psychology, linguistics, education, or biology degree automatically meets prerequisites.
Common prerequisites include anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms, phonetics, language development, speech and hearing science, audiology, speech and language disorders, statistics, and research methods. Programs may also require the ASHA prerequisite areas in biological science, physical science, statistics, and social/behavioral science for certification preparation.
Admissions committees commonly review academic performance, recommendation letters, personal statements, relevant observation or service experience, and evidence that an applicant understands the clinical profession. Observation hours can be useful, but applicants should not exaggerate exposure or assume observation alone demonstrates readiness for a demanding clinical curriculum.
Before applying, ask admissions offices whether prerequisite courses have expiration rules, whether online prerequisites are accepted, and whether missing courses delay graduation. A structured academic plan is especially important for career changers who want to preserve earnings while completing leveling requirements.
CAA-accredited master's curricula are designed to build the academic knowledge and supervised clinical skills needed for entry-level practice. Course titles vary, but students should expect a sequence that moves from assessment and theory to diagnosis, treatment planning, documentation, and clinical decision-making.
The following content areas are common because they correspond to the range of communication and swallowing conditions an entry-level clinician may encounter:
Speech sound disorders, phonological disorders, and motor speech disorders.
Child language development and developmental language disorders.
Adult neurogenic communication disorders, including aphasia and cognitive-communication disorders.
Voice disorders, fluency disorders, resonance, and professional communication.
Swallowing disorders, feeding, anatomy, and medical aspects of speech-language pathology.
Audiology foundations, augmentative and alternative communication, counseling, ethics, and research methods.
Clinical practica involving supervised assessment, intervention, case documentation, and professional feedback.
Course lists alone do not show program quality. Ask whether dysphagia instruction includes hands-on clinical exposure, how bilingual or multilingual service delivery is addressed, how students learn to use telepractice appropriately, and how faculty evaluate clinical readiness. These details matter because Massachusetts employers may serve linguistically diverse communities and medically complex populations.
Many entry-level SLP master's programs are broad by design because graduates need preparation across age groups and disorder types. Formal concentrations are less universal than they are in some other health fields, but programs may offer electives, clinics, research laboratories, certificates, or placement opportunities that allow students to develop an area of emphasis.
Potential focus areas include pediatric language and literacy, autism and developmental disabilities, adult neurogenic disorders, dysphagia, voice, fluency, augmentative and alternative communication, bilingual and multilingual service delivery, and hearing-related communication needs. An emphasis is valuable when it is supported by relevant faculty expertise, clinical placements, and coursework - not merely by a single elective.
Students should avoid selecting a program solely because it advertises a preferred specialty. A broad clinical foundation remains essential for licensure and early-career flexibility. Instead, ask whether the school can realistically offer more than one relevant placement or supervised learning experience in your intended area, particularly if you want a hospital-based swallowing role or school-based pediatric practice.
Applicants who may relocate should also recognize that state rules and employer expectations can differ. The program that best supports your specialty interest must still meet the licensure requirements of the state where you intend to practice.
The best program is the one that creates a realistic route to licensure and clinical competence at a manageable financial and personal cost. A highly ranked school may not be the best fit if its clinical schedule requires relocation, its aid package leaves excessive debt, or its placement model does not support your intended setting.
Use the following review process after identifying programs of interest:
Confirm current CAA accreditation and ask whether the curriculum is designed to meet Massachusetts licensure requirements.
Compare the full program cost, not tuition alone, including required summer terms, travel, health insurance, fees, and lost earnings.
Ask who secures clinical placements, how far students typically travel, and what support exists if a site changes.
Review graduation, Praxis, employment, and completion outcomes when programs publish them, noting the reporting period and cohort size.
Compare prerequisite policies and the time needed for leveling coursework if you are changing fields.
Talk with current students about clinic workload, faculty feedback, cohort culture, commuting, and the practical feasibility of working while enrolled.
Common red flags include vague answers about placements, unclear accreditation information, pressure to borrow without a total-cost estimate, and claims that graduation automatically guarantees licensure or employment. For additional cost comparison beyond the state, see affordable slp programs in florida; it can be useful for understanding how location and residency affect price, though Florida programs have different licensing and placement considerations.
A master's degree in speech-language pathology can lead to clinical work across the lifespan after graduates satisfy applicable state licensure and supervised-experience requirements. The most direct route is speech-language pathology, but the daily work can look very different depending on the employer and population served.
Career direction should influence program selection because clinical placements, electives, and faculty expertise can help students test settings before committing to a first job.
Career path
Typical population or focus
Program-selection priority
Pediatric school SLP
Children with speech, language, fluency, and communication needs
Seek school-based practica and advising on Massachusetts educator credential requirements.
Medical SLP
Adults and children with swallowing, voice, neurological, or complex medical conditions
Prioritize hospital or rehabilitation placements and strong dysphagia coursework.
Early-intervention clinician
Infants, toddlers, caregivers, and families
Look for family-centered, developmental, and community-based experiences.
Rehabilitation SLP
People recovering from stroke, brain injury, or other neurological conditions
Evaluate adult neurogenic-disorder courses and interdisciplinary rehabilitation exposure.
Research, doctoral study, or academic support roles
Communication sciences research and higher education
Look for faculty mentorship, research methods, and opportunities to assist in laboratories.
New graduates should expect their first position and clinical fellowship experience to shape later options. A student who wants a highly specialized medical role may benefit from choosing a program with a credible pathway to adult medical placements, while a future school clinician may gain more from strong pediatric and education-system preparation.
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
2
40,000-60,000 USD
0
60,000-80,000 USD
0
80,000-100,000 USD
1
100,000-120,000 USD
1
120,000-140,000 USD
0
140,000-160,000 USD
1
The national outlook for speech-language pathology is favorable: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 17% from 2025 to 2035 and about 12,500 openings per year on average during the decade. This is a national projection, not a Massachusetts-specific forecast, but it indicates sustained demand associated with aging populations, medical advances, and ongoing needs for speech and language services.
Massachusetts can be attractive because its employment ecosystem includes large healthcare systems, rehabilitation providers, early-intervention networks, and public school districts. However, applicants should not interpret a strong national outlook as proof that every specialty, city, schedule, or new-graduate role will be equally available. Boston-area opportunities may bring higher living costs and competitive applicant pools, while other regions may require more geographic flexibility.
Technology is changing practice without replacing the need for licensed clinical judgment. Telepractice, electronic documentation, augmentative communication tools, and digital therapy materials can expand service delivery, but employers still need clinicians who can assess patients, build treatment plans, collaborate with families and teams, and meet ethical and privacy obligations.
To test local demand, review current postings by setting, ask programs where recent clinical fellows have trained, and compare commute radius with cost of living. This produces a more realistic job-market picture than relying only on a nationwide growth rate.
2027 Most Valuable Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Massachusetts
How do we rank schools?
Research.com recognizes that graduate education is a major financial and career decision, particularly in a licensed clinical field where program accreditation, clinical preparation, completion, and debt can affect a student's path to practice. The ranking is designed to help applicants compare programs using consistently collected evidence rather than relying only on reputation, marketing claims, or tuition sticker price.
Research.com rankings score programs on academic and research strength, cost, graduate outcomes, student profile, and institutional quality, then rank schools by the dimension named in the ranking. On-campus rankings use data-driven, entropy-based weights that are set for the individual ranking. Online-program rankings use a methodology adapted for distance learning: campus-related indicators are excluded, while program structure and student support are emphasized through fixed weights for graduation rate (30%), research (25%), institutional profile (15%), and students, cost, and course factors (10% each).
The Research.com team used the following sources to support quality checks, comparable institutional data, and program-level evaluation:
IPEDS database: federal institutional data on enrollment, completions, pricing, and student outcomes.
Peterson's database: program and admissions information used to supplement institutional comparisons.
College Scorecard database: federal data used to assess affordability, student outcomes, and post-college indicators where available.
Readers can use the ranking to identify schools that deserve a closer review, compare value beyond published tuition, and create a practical shortlist for admissions outreach. Rankings are a starting point rather than a substitute for confirming CAA accreditation, clinical placement policies, total borrowing, and Massachusetts licensure eligibility. More detail is available in Research.com's methodology.
Accelerated (6 semesters) or Full-Time (8 semesters); part-time also available (2-3.5 years total)
Required credits
55
Acceptance rate
36% (55 of 151 applications)
GPA range
3.00 - 3.90
Application deadline
Summer admission: January 15
Class size
26
Degrees granted
29
Application process
CSDCAS
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: Yes
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam; Thesis
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID a4af633a-0683-41d0-b7aa-570346086540Valid 2019-2027
Verify accreditation
Worcester State University earned a Research.com Value Score of 80.99/100, supported by $20,807 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 08/18/2026)
MA in Speech-Language Pathology (Master of Arts Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology)
60.00
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 academic years / 4 semesters
Required credits
58 (semester credit hours, ASHA EdFind)
Acceptance rate
41% (72 of 174 applications)
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~6% (4 of 72 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: January 15th
Class size
25
Degrees granted
24
Application process
CSDCAS University online application
Prerequisites
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 44960470-44be-4de6-b8f7-07ac88eef527Valid 2019-2027
Last known review scheduled for February 2027
Verify accreditation
University of Massachusetts-Amherst earned a Research.com Value Score of 60.0/100, supported by $39,369 total tuition + mandatory fees and 100% Praxis pass rate. Its MA in Speech-Language Pathology (Master of Arts Degree Program 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 10/27/2025)
Fall admission: January 15 Summer admission: October 30
Class size
112
Degrees granted
88
Application process
CSDCAS
Prerequisites
Undergraduate prerequisites required: Yes; prerequisite courses offered; available online
Additional requirements
Comprehensive exam; Thesis
Accreditation
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID dca87608-f726-456f-9219-7c00168b168aValid 2022-2030
Last known review scheduled for August 2029
Verify accreditation
Northeastern University earned a Research.com Value Score of 42.27/100, supported by $120,950 total tuition + mandatory fees and 94% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology 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 09/03/2026)
# 4 position
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Master
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
41.79
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 years / six semesters
Required credits
69
Acceptance rate
81% (273 of 337 applications)
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Offers with funding
~11% (30 of 273 offers)
Application deadline
Fall admission: February 1
Class size
76
Degrees granted
64
Application process
CSDCAS
Prerequisites
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 1cf81b11-6efb-4f67-b94e-f345cfaf2bb4Valid 2026-2034
Last known review scheduled for August 2033
Verify accreditation
MGH Institute of Health Professions earned a Research.com Value Score of 41.79/100, supported by $129,002 total tuition + mandatory fees and 95% Praxis pass rate. Its Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology 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 10/31/2025)
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA
Status AccreditedID b41a94c9-de21-41b0-a9eb-3da78915d062Valid 2023-2031
Last known review scheduled for August 2030
Verify accreditation
Boston University earned a Research.com Value Score of 40.18/100, supported by $157,347 total tuition + mandatory fees and 97% 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 10/30/2025)
Frequently asked questions about speech pathology degree in Massachusetts
Do I need a master's degree to become an SLP in Massachusetts?
Yes, the professional path generally requires a graduate degree in speech-language pathology or a closely titled field, plus satisfaction of Massachusetts licensing requirements. A bachelor's degree alone does not qualify a person for independent SLP practice.
Does a Massachusetts SLP program need CAA accreditation?
CAA accreditation is a critical quality and licensure-planning factor. Confirm the program's current accreditation status directly with the CAA and verify its suitability for Massachusetts licensure with the state licensing board.
Can I become a speech-language pathologist with an unrelated bachelor's degree?
Often, yes. Many programs accept career changers, but applicants commonly must complete communication-sciences prerequisites or a post-baccalaureate leveling sequence before starting graduate clinical coursework.
Are online speech pathology master's programs fully online?
Usually not. Coursework may be online, but clinical practica, skills training, and supervised patient experiences require in-person participation. Ask how placements are arranged for Massachusetts residents.
How much do speech-language pathologists earn?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a national median annual wage of $97,870 in May 2025. Actual Massachusetts pay varies by experience, employer, setting, schedule, benefits, and location.
How long will it take before I can practice independently?
Most full-time master's programs take about two years after prerequisites. Graduation is followed by state-required licensure steps and typically a supervised post-graduate experience, so applicants should plan beyond the degree completion date.
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
University of Massachusetts-Amherst - MA in Speech-Language Pathology (Master of Arts Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology) Official program page (curriculum, tuition, and admissions). https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/ma-slp
