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Respiratory therapy school: degrees, length, cost and payback

Respiratory therapy school is a CoARC-accredited degree program: 366 of 449 entry-level programs (82%) award an associate degree, 76 a bachelor's and 7 a master's. Public associate programs publish costs from $4,884 (Tarrant County College, Texas, tuition and fees) to $16,642 (Pima CC, Arizona, all-in), and graduates earn a median $82,280.

By the Therapist Salary team · Updated · 10 sources

Respiratory therapy school payback calculator

Payback math

Enter the program cost, how much you earn now and how much you can keep working; it shows when the RT salary pays the program back.

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School payback · 2026 tax on the raise

1.7 years after graduation

Break-even about 44 months after the first class · 10-year gain after costs $257,881

What the program costs you
Tuition, fees, books, exams$16,642
Pay given up while in school$35,000
Loan interest$0
Total cost$51,642
Raise after tax, per year$30,952

After-tax share of the raise: 78.3% (single filer, federal + FICA). Nominal dollars, no discounting.

Estimate, not a job offer. Arithmetic on your inputs. The raise is taxed with 2026 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer.

On this page
  1. Respiratory therapy school degree types
  2. How long is respiratory therapy school?
  3. Respiratory therapy school cost
  4. Exam and license costs after school
  5. Does respiratory therapy school pay off?
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

Respiratory therapy school degree types

Respiratory therapy school is offered at three degree levels, and the associate degree is by far the most common: CoARC's 2025 report counted 366 associate, 76 bachelor's and 7 master's entry-level programs.[coarc] The NBRC requires at least an associate degree from a CoARC-accredited program for the RRT credential, so any of the three qualifies you for the exam.[nbrc_cse]

Entry-level respiratory care programs by degree, CoARC 2025 report
DegreeProgramsShare
Associate36682%
Bachelor’s7617%
Master’s72%
Total449100%

How long is respiratory therapy school?

An associate degree in respiratory care is about 66 credit hours at a public community college, two years of full-time study; Tarrant County College's AAS is 66 credit hours.[s_tcc_rt] BLS lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education for respiratory therapists.[ooh_rt] After graduation you take the NBRC exam and apply for a state license; the full sequence is on how to become a respiratory therapist.

Respiratory therapy school cost

Published 2026–27 prices at public community colleges range from $4,884 in tuition and fees for in-county students at Tarrant County College to a $16,642 program total at Pima Community College that also includes differential tuition, books and $633 for credentialing.[s_tcc_rt][s_pima_rt] CoARC does not publish a national average cost, so use your own college's cost sheet in the calculator above.

Published respiratory care associate degree costs, 2026–27
ProgramPublished costWhat it covers
Tarrant County College (TX), AAS$4,884Tuition and fees, in-county, 66 credit hours; excludes books
Pima Community College (AZ), AAS$16,642In-state tuition, differential tuition, fees, books and credentialing

Exam and license costs after school

Budget for the NBRC exam on top of tuition: the TMC costs $190 and the Clinical Simulation Exam $200 through 2026, and from January 4, 2027 the single Respiratory Therapy Examination costs $360 for new applicants.[nbrc_fees] State license fees vary; California's application fee is $300 and it requires the RRT.[rcb]

Does respiratory therapy school pay off?

A new respiratory therapist near the 25th percentile earns $74,520 a year, or $35.83 an hour, and the median RT earns $82,280.[onet_rt] For someone earning $35,000 now, moving to the RT 25th percentile adds about $30,952 a year after federal tax and FICA; the calculator above turns that raise into a payback time for your own program cost.[irs] Federal undergraduate Direct Loans carry 6.52% for 2026–27.[fr_rates]

Pay by state is on respiratory therapist salary; California, which pays well above the national median, has its own page at respiratory therapist salary California. Compare with the graduate-level therapy degrees on physical therapy school cost and occupational therapy school.

Frequently asked questions

How long is respiratory therapy school?

About two years of full-time study for an associate degree (around 66 credit hours at a public community college). Bachelor’s and master’s programs take longer.

How much does respiratory therapy school cost?

Published public community college costs run from $4,884 (tuition and fees, Tarrant County College, in-county) to $16,642 (Pima CC, including books and credentialing) for 2026–27.

Do I need a bachelor’s degree to be a respiratory therapist?

No. The NBRC requires at least an associate degree from a CoARC-accredited program; 82% of programs award one.

What exam do respiratory therapy graduates take?

The NBRC TMC ($190) and CSE ($200) through 2026; from January 4, 2027 a single Respiratory Therapy Examination ($360).

Sources

  1. 2025 Report on Accreditation in Respiratory Care Education · Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), Feb 23, 2026
  2. Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT): Clinical Simulation Examination and eligibility · NBRC, accessed Nov 14, 2026
  3. AAS Respiratory Care (66 credit hours, $4,884 in-county tuition and fees) · Tarrant County College (Texas), 2026-27
  4. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Respiratory Therapists · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified Oct 29, 2026
  5. AAS Respiratory Care estimated costs (program total $16,642) · Pima Community College (Arizona), 2026-27
  6. Frequently asked questions: examination fees (TMC $190/$150, CSE $200, RT Exam $360/$300) · NBRC, accessed Nov 14, 2026
  7. Application requirements for a respiratory care practitioner license (RRT required; $300 fee) · Respiratory Care Board of California, accessed Nov 14, 2026
  8. Local Wages: 29-1126.00 Respiratory Therapists (state and metro percentiles) · O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (BLS 2025 wage data), accessed Nov 14, 2026
  9. IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) · Internal Revenue Service, IR-2025-103, Oct 9, 2025
  10. Annual Notice of Interest Rates for Fixed-Rate Federal Student Loans (loans first disbursed July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) · U.S. Department of Education, Federal Register 91 FR 57581, Sep 10, 2026