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Respiratory therapy aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a respiratory therapy aide. Respiratory therapy aides usually study medical technician, nursing, or business. 59% of respiratory therapy aides hold a associate degree, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 176 real respiratory therapy aide resumes to see exactly what respiratory therapy aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for respiratory therapy aides are the Concorde Career College and the Concorde Career College.
There are also many online respiratory therapy aide courses to help get the education required to be a respiratory therapy aide.
There are certain respiratory therapy aide certifications that you should consider. These respiratory therapy aide certifications include Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).
What education do you need to become a respiratory therapy aide?
What degree do you need to be a respiratory therapy aide?
- Associate, 59%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Master's, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a respiratory therapy aide?
- Medical Technician, 58%
- Nursing, 7%
- Business, 6%
- General Studies, 4%
- Other Majors, 25%
Most common colleges for respiratory therapy aides
| Respiratory therapy aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Concorde Career College | 25.00% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.14% |
| Northeastern University | 7.14% |
| DeVry University - Phoenix Campus | 3.57% |
| SUNY at Buffalo | 3.57% |
Best majors for respiratory therapy aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Technician | 57.9% |
| 2 | Nursing | 7.4% |
| 3 | Business | 6.3% |
| 4 | General Studies | 4.2% |
| 5 | Health Sciences And Services | 3.2% |
Best colleges for respiratory therapy aides
The best colleges for respiratory therapy aides are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A respiratory therapy aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for respiratory therapy aides. 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 respiratory therapy aides.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for respiratory therapy aides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for respiratory therapy aides
The most affordable schools for respiratory therapy aides are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for respiratory therapy aides 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 respiratory therapy aides.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for respiratory therapy aides
The hardest universities for respiratory therapy aides to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
Some great schools for respiratory therapy aides 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 respiratory therapy aides 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for respiratory therapy aides
The easiest schools for respiratory therapy aides to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a respiratory therapy aide 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 respiratory therapy aides.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average respiratory therapy aide salary by education level
| Respiratory therapy aide education level | Respiratory therapy aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,048 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,214 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,819 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,451 |
Respiratory therapy aide education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025