ROI Major

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at University of Cincinnati

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree from University of Cincinnati earn a median salary of $62,341 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,191. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.7 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$51,063

Typical Career

$62,341

Top Performers

$74,481

Estimated break-even: 9.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$416

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,195. Most students can comfortably afford about a $416 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 15.4%
Educational Services 10.0%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$69,191

Nominal: $62,341 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

9.7 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $21,065 $27,988 $39,187
5 Years After Graduation $51,063 $62,341 $74,481
10 Years After Graduation $53,431 $67,273 $82,331

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $62,341 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,341 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $69,191 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Communication Disorders Sciences and Services from the University of Cincinnati can expect a significant increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,988, which rises to $62,341 five years post-graduation, and reaches $67,273 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median salary five years after graduation is approximately $69,190.9, reflecting a favorable financial outlook given the cost of living in Ohio, which has a COL index of 0.901 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The career landscape for graduates is primarily within the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which employs 21.9% of alumni, followed by Professional, Scientific & Technical Services at 15.4%, and Educational Services at 10.0%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 9.7 years, indicating that while the initial financial return may take time, the long-term benefits in terms of salary and career opportunities in these growing industries suggest a positive return on investment for graduates.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree at University of Cincinnati stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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