ROI Major

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at University of Oregon

OR · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree from University of Oregon earn a median salary of $61,431 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,745. 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

$43,696

Typical Career

$61,431

Top Performers

$75,937

Estimated break-even: 9.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$410

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,119. Most students can comfortably afford about a $410 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 Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 17.1%
Educational Services 15.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.3%

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

$53,745

Nominal: $61,431 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% lower 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 $23,036 $28,856 $38,306
5 Years After Graduation $43,696 $61,431 $75,937
10 Years After Graduation $48,144 $68,045 $84,715

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 $61,431 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $61,431 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $53,745 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 Oregon experience a notable earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $28,856, which increases significantly to $61,431 after five years and reaches $68,045 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $53,745.41, reflecting the cost of living in Oregon, which has a COL index of 1.143 compared to the national average.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (17.1%), Educational Services (15.1%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.3%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 9.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree appears reasonable. Students should weigh their long-term career goals against the financial implications of their educational choices in this field.

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 Oregon 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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