by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, respiratory care therapy/therapist was the 121st most popular major nationwide with 6,845 degrees awarded. This represents a 2.6% reduction in respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 7,025.
This year's Best Respiratory Care Therapy Schools ranking compares 317 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of respiratory care therapy/therapist programs later in this article.
When studying Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist, you’ll learn that giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and talking to others to convey information effectively.
respiratory care therapy/therapist degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific respiratory care therapy/therapist careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in respiratory care therapy/therapist to something that takes less time like a . How long it takes to complete some common respiratory care therapy/therapist degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
An associate degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to respiratory care therapy/therapist, with approximately 50.3% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to respiratory care therapy/therapist tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 60.8% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 17.8% |
| Master’s Degree | 7.9% |
| Doctoral Degree | 5.5% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 4.2% |
97.1% of respiratory care therapy/therapist workers have at least a associate. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in respiratory care therapy/therapist have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which respiratory care therapy/therapist career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your respiratory care therapy/therapist degree? Respiratory Care Therapy careers are expected to grow 22.6% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to respiratory care therapy/therapist.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 294,000 | 25.9% |
| Respiratory Therapists | 160,600 | 23.3% |
| Respiratory Therapy Technicians | 4,700 | -56.5% |
As you might expect, salaries for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers respiratory care therapy/therapist grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | $122,320 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $62,500 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technicians | $51,380 |
With over 473 different respiratory care therapy/therapist degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased respiratory care therapy/therapist school rankings to help you with this.
Respiratory Care Therapy is one of 21 different types of Allied Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) | 26,641 |
| Physician Assistant | 11,351 |
| Radiologic Technology | 9,790 |
| Surgical Technology | 7,583 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician | 5,396 |
View All Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Related Majors >
