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# Communication Sciences and Disorders Programs in California

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Health Professions Colleges in California](/rankings/best-health-professions-colleges-in-california/)

This page ranks the 16 Communication Sciences and Disorders programs in California by the median earnings of Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing. [University of the Pacific](/school/university-of-the-pacific/majors/) leads the list at $77,549, followed by [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) at $75,137 and [University of Redlands](/school/university-of-redlands/majors/) at $71,767.

The median across the listed schools is $64,100, with figures ranging from $77,549 to $30,409.

Public institutions account for 12 of the 16 programs, or 75%, while 4 are private nonprofit. California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.

## The ranked list

16 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $77,549 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
|  | [University of the Pacific](/school/university-of-the-pacific/majors/) reports [$77,549 in median earnings](/school/university-of-the-pacific/outcomes/) for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 17. |
| 2 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $75,137 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) [admits 46% of applicants](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $75,137 for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $71,767 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
|  | [University of Redlands](/school/university-of-redlands/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list, and its Communication Sciences and Disorders completers who borrowed left with a [median of $24,000](/school/university-of-redlands/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 4 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $71,068 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
|  | [California State University-San Marcos](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/majors/) [ranks 59th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates earned a median of $71,068 four years after completing. |
| 5 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $70,532 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
|  | With an [average net price of $12,278,](/school/san-francisco-state-university/cost/) [San Francisco State University](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/) reports median earnings of $70,532 for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $69,087 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
|  | [Biola University](/school/biola-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $69,087](/school/biola-university/outcomes/) for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $31,495. |
| 7 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $67,621 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
|  | [California Baptist University](/school/california-baptist-university/majors/) [ranks 432nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-baptist-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Communication Sciences and Disorders completers who borrowed left with a median of $25,625 in federal loans. |
| 8 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $65,188 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
|  | An [average net price of $7,021](/school/california-state-university-northridge/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $65,188 for Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates of [California State University-Northridge](/school/california-state-university-northridge/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 9 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $63,013 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
|  | [California State University-Sacramento](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/majors/) [admits 94% of applicants](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/admissions/), and its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates earned a median of $63,013 four years after completing. |
| 10 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $62,855 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
|  | Reporting [median earnings of $62,855](/school/california-state-university-chico/outcomes/) for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing, [California State University-Chico](/school/california-state-university-chico/majors/) shows median federal debt of $16,148 among Communication Sciences and Disorders completers who borrowed. |
| 11 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $62,720 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
|  | An [average net price of $6,360](/school/california-state-university-east-bay/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $62,720 for Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates of [California State University-East Bay](/school/california-state-university-east-bay/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 12 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $62,436 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
|  | 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, [California State University-Fullerton](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/majors/) posts [median earnings of $62,436](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/outcomes/) for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing. |
| 13 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $61,510 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
|  | [San Diego State University](/school/san-diego-state-university/majors/) [admits 36% of applicants](/school/san-diego-state-university/admissions/), the lowest admission rate on this list, and reports median earnings of $61,510 for its Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing. |
| 14 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $53,857 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
|  | [California State University-Los Angeles](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/) carries an [average net price of $3,967,](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/cost/) the lowest among the listed schools, and ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 15 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $51,835 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
|  | Median federal debt among Communication Sciences and Disorders completers who borrowed is $17,143 at [California State University-Fresno](/school/california-state-university-fresno/majors/), which reports [median earnings of $51,835](/school/california-state-university-fresno/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 16 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $30,409 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
|  | [San Jose State University](/school/san-jose-state-university/majors/) ranks 16th on this list, with [median earnings of $30,409](/school/san-jose-state-university/outcomes/) four years after completing and an average net price of $9,730 for families earning under $30,000. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Communication Sciences and Disorders graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 1 of the 16 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of the Pacific and California State University-Long Beach is $2,412, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $47,140.

## Job market context in California

Graduates of Communication Sciences and Disorders programs in California enter occupations such as Speech-Language Pathologists, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary, and Audiologists. The median annual wage across those occupations is $145,890, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $98,830. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 21.4% higher, with about 267 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Colleges in California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Health Professions Colleges in California](/rankings/best-health-professions-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Nursing Colleges in California](/rankings/best-nursing-colleges-in-california/)
-   Health Professions Colleges in California for Social Mobility
-   Nursing Colleges in California for Social Mobility
-   Speech-Language Pathology Colleges in California for Social Mobility