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Is grad school really worth it?

I'm a high school senior, 17, and I'm planning to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology. Do I need a master's in order to be successful in this field? Does it make a difference in salary or job opportunities that is worth the extra costs of tuition?

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Elena’s Answer

Hi Ruby,
Absolutely, Grad School is so worth it. It’s expensive but you will have much more opportunities for growth. In-state programs are less expensive than off-state/on-line programs. Having a bachelor’s (undergrad) in communication will give you those pre-requisites for a Master’s program. Without a master’s degree you may be limited to being an assistant or tech. With a master’s degree and ASHA certified you will can work in the schools, rehabilitation facilities, hospital, home health, private clinics, etc. Hard work and dedication will pay-off!
Thank you comment icon Elena, great response!! If you don't want to go to grad school, look for a SpeechLangage Pathology Assistant program or job. Grad school is definitely worth it, and there are some private scholarships to help pay the bills. Try graduateschoolschokarships2025+ speech-language pathology or locate a free scholarship search engine + graduate school. Katie Schwartz, CCC-SLP
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Laurie’s Answer

To become a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), you need a master's degree. You can work with just a bachelor's degree, but only as a speech assistant. As an assistant, you would work under the supervision of a licensed SLP. Your salary and job choices would be much less than if you had a master's degree. As an assistant, you can provide some therapies, but you can't do assessments or give professional advice. If you have a bachelor's degree, you might consider working as an assistant while you continue your studies to get a master's degree.

Laurie recommends the following next steps:

Call your local school district or rehab hospital and see if you can speak to an SLP
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Susan’s Answer

Hi Ruby!
I'm glad you reached out with this very good question. You will need to get your Master's degree to work in any setting as a speech-language pathologist. That degree is now the "minimal" entry-level degree for our discipline. During your Master's program, you will get the (supervised) clinical hours you will need to apply for your ASHA certification. You will also get current information about the assessment and treatment of all of the communication disorders you will be qualified to treat. There are many accredited Master's programs across the country. You can find a list of these on the ASHA website. I hope this was helpful. As an aside, there is still a large demand for SLPs across the country. You can be confident that the investment you make in a Master's program will be well worth it (financially and personally) in the long run. Best of luck to you! Feel free to reach back out to me if you have more questions.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much! This was very helpful. Ruby
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