Sterling, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering communication disorders programs, with tuition ranging from $36,658 to $51,141 per year for indexed programs. Sterling has a population of about 14,670. Median household income is $52,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning communication disorders-related role is Speech-Language Pathologist at a median $95,080 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Communication Disorders Schools to Sterling
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communication disorders programs near Sterling, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sterling city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Sterling.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,808
Avg net price
$13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,971
Avg net price
$22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 68
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
Avg net price
$17,028/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,462
Avg net price
$24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,117
Avg net price
$19,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 112
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,700
Avg net price
$19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,656
Avg net price
$10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 61
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois communication disorders page.
Communication Disorders Wages Near Sterling
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $95,080 |
| Audiologist | $93,510 |
| Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants) | $48,360 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Sterling at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 14,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,647 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Sterling-Area Cities With Communication Disorders Programs
- Clinton, IA – 28.3 mi away (30,930 pop)
- Freeport, IL – 34.0 mi away (24,717 pop)
- East Moline, IL – 40.6 mi away (21,135 pop)
- Peru, IL – 42.6 mi away (30,795 pop)
- Bettendorf, IA – 43.4 mi away (35,727 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited communication disorders schools are near Sterling, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communication disorders programs near Sterling. The closest is Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL (48.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis University (84.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying communication disorders roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying communication disorders-related roles in Illinois are: Speech-Language Pathologist ($95,080), Audiologist ($93,510), Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants) ($48,360). Wages for Sterling workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Sterling?
Clinton, IA is 28.3 miles from Sterling and has its own set of local communication disorders programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Sterling an affordable place to study communication disorders?
Sterling’s median household income of $52,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Communication Disorders Programs
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Data verified: August 31, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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