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Ultrasonographer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an ultrasonographer. Ultrasonographers usually study medical technician, nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies, or health sciences and services. 54% of ultrasonographers hold a associate degree, and 35% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 821 real ultrasonographer resumes to see exactly what ultrasonographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for ultrasonographers are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

There are also many online ultrasonographer courses to help get the education required to be an ultrasonographer.

There are certain ultrasonographer certifications that you should consider. These ultrasonographer certifications include Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS) and Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA).

What education do you need to become an ultrasonographer?

What degree do you need to be an ultrasonographer?

The most common degree for ultrasonographers is associate degree, with 54% of ultrasonographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 35% and bachelor's degree degree at 5%.
  • Associate, 54%
  • Bachelor's, 35%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Master's, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an ultrasonographer?

You should major in medical technician to become an ultrasonographer. 74% of ultrasonographers major in medical technician. Other common majors for an ultrasonographer include nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies and health sciences and services.

Most common colleges for ultrasonographers

Ultrasonographers often get their degrees at Rochester Institute of Technology, Thomas Jefferson University, and Ferris State University. Here are the most common colleges for ultrasonographers in the US based on their resumes.
Ultrasonographer common collegePercentages
Rochester Institute of Technology11.48%
Thomas Jefferson University8.20%
Ferris State University6.56%
Quinnipiac University6.56%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas6.56%

Best majors for ultrasonographers

Best colleges for ultrasonographers

The best colleges for ultrasonographers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Tulsa.

An ultrasonographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for ultrasonographers. 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 ultrasonographers.

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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

20 best online courses for ultrasonographers

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1. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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2. Case Studies in Personalized Medicine

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Learn how advances in biomedicine hold the potential to revolutionize drug development, drug treatments, and disease prevention: where are we now, and what does the future hold? This course will present short primers in genetics and mechanisms underlying variability in drug responses. A series of case studies will be used to illustrate principles of how genetics are being brought to bear on refining diagnoses and on personalizing treatment in rare and common diseases. The ethical and...

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4. Introduction to Medical Imaging

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Your guide to the history, science, math, and economics of medical imaging systems (e.g., X-ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound)...

5. Visualizing the Living Body: Diagnostic Imaging

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This course teaches learners the underlying principles behind conventional radiography, computerized axial tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The radiology of chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, spine and brain are taught in this course using a combination of lectures and extensive practical activities and assessments. By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe the principles of conventional radiography, CT MRI and ultrasound Describe systematic...

6. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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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...

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9. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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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...

10. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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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...

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12. Master Procedural Maze & Dungeon Generation

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13. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

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Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...

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20. Medical Terminology

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Top 10 most affordable universities for ultrasonographers

The most affordable schools for ultrasonographers are Brigham Young University, minot state university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for ultrasonographers 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 ultrasonographers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

7. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

8. Maine College of Health Professions

Lewiston, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$12,245

Cost of attendance

18,826

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ultrasonographers

The hardest universities for ultrasonographers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Tulsa.

Some great schools for ultrasonographers 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 ultrasonographers 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

4. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

7. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ultrasonographers

The easiest schools for ultrasonographers to get into are AdventHealth University, life university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an ultrasonographer 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 ultrasonographers.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average ultrasonographer salary by education level

According to our data, ultrasonographers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $101,612 annually. Ultrasonographers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $89,728.
Ultrasonographer education levelUltrasonographer salary
Master's Degree$101,612
Bachelor's Degree$89,728
Some College/ Associate Degree$81,159

Ultrasonographer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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