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Certified respiratory therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a certified respiratory therapist. Certified respiratory therapists usually study medical technician, health sciences and services, or business. 74% of certified respiratory therapists hold a associate degree, and 15% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,063 real certified respiratory therapist resumes to see exactly what certified respiratory therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for certified respiratory therapists are the Concorde Career College and the Concorde Career College.
There are also many online certified respiratory therapist courses to help get the education required to be a certified respiratory therapist.
There are certain certified respiratory therapist certifications that you should consider. These certified respiratory therapist certifications include Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).
What education do you need to become a certified respiratory therapist?
What degree do you need to be a certified respiratory therapist?
- Associate, 74%
- Bachelor's, 15%
- Diploma, 3%
- Master's, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a certified respiratory therapist?
- Medical Technician, 74%
- Business, 3%
- Nursing, 3%
- Other Majors, 17%
Most common colleges for certified respiratory therapists
| Certified respiratory therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Concorde Career College | 19.62% |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 8.86% |
| Independence University | 6.96% |
| Tennessee State University | 6.96% |
| Pima Medical Institute | 6.96% |
Best majors for certified respiratory therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 73.7% |
| 2 | Health Sciences And Services | 3.4% |
| 3 | Business | 3.0% |
| 4 | Nursing | 2.9% |
| 5 | Military Applied Sciences | 2.7% |
Best colleges for certified respiratory therapists
The best colleges for certified respiratory therapists are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.
A certified respiratory therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified respiratory therapists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become certified respiratory therapists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for certified respiratory therapists
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1. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
2. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...
3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
4. Introduction to Solution Focused Therapy
Learn Solution Focused Therapy To Empower Clients & Improve Outcomes Ideal For Social Workers, Coaches & Therapists...
5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
6. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
7. The Complete EMDR Therapy Course - Accredited Certification
International EMDR Training for Self-Healing, Trauma Therapy, Childhood Healing, PTSD, Grief, and Counseling...
8. CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Therapists & Coaches
Comprehensive CBT Therapy Training Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner Level Treat Anxiety, Depression & More...
9. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
10. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
11. Professional Cupping Therapy Massage Certificate Course 4 CE
Learn Cupping Therapy Massage Today to Treat Your Own Pains, Your Friends, Family Or Massage Clients Effortlessly!...
12. The Key to Happiness: Self Care
Discover Self Care as a tool for creating positive change in your mental health, behaviours, and well-being...
13. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
14. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
15. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
16. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...
17. Thinking About Care
Although all humans require care to develop and thrive, it is rarely the focus of academic studies. This course enriches learner’s understanding of this critical yet underappreciated facet of their lives by addressing such questions as: What is care? Who has traditionally provided it? How valued is care work? Does money take the care out of care work? In addition to advancing learner’s knowledge of the place of care in modern society and controversies surrounding it, Thinking About Care will...
18. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...
19. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...
20. Introduction to Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices
This introductory course provides a framework for incorporating integrative therapies into your work with clients or patients. By the end of the course, you will be able to assess if integrative therapies are good options in specific situations, as well as educate patients and colleagues about benefits and risks. You will be confident discussing the evidence base for integrative therapies in general, with an understanding of some of the challenges of research in this area, and able to identify...
Top 10 most affordable universities for certified respiratory therapists
The most affordable schools for certified respiratory therapists are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and florida international university.
If the best universities for certified respiratory therapists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for certified respiratory therapists.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Maine College of Health Professions
Lewiston, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$12,245
Cost of attendance
18,826
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified respiratory therapists
The hardest universities for certified respiratory therapists to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Tulsa, and Yale University.
Some great schools for certified respiratory therapists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for certified respiratory therapists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
2. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
7. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
10. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified respiratory therapists
The easiest schools for certified respiratory therapists to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified respiratory therapist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for certified respiratory therapists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Canton, OH • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,085
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average certified respiratory therapist salary by education level
| Certified respiratory therapist education level | Certified respiratory therapist salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,665 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,965 |
Certified respiratory therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025