Doctoral · Evanston, Illinois

Is Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at Northwestern University worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.2 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $95,265; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $97,755; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $73,294; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published): $78k (likely $78k – $78k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $32k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in IL; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 4.2 years (likely 3.1–6.2); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$162k (likely −$287k – −$41k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $153k (likely −$80k – $378k); Today's dollars

Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.