### SUMMARY

 Studying Respiratory Care Therapy is not only a valuable choice, but typically an obligatory first step for scholars wanting to begin a career as a recovery specialist, a pulmonologist, or a smoking cessation therapist. In fact, respiratory care therapy is an uncommon degree ranking as the 172nd most popular major. Last year alone, there were 1,563 respiratory care therapy degrees conferred. In-state tuition for respiratory care therapy at private schools is, on average, 3.4 times more expensive than their public peers.

 With only 82 institutions having programs for respiratory care therapy you could have limited options as to the institutions that will have an option for you. If you're looking to immerse yourself with other respiratory care therapy undergrads, consider looking at institutions in Texas which have the most undergrads admitted to respiratory care therapy annually. Zooming out, the top region to study respiratory care therapy is in the Southeast region with [Jacksonville State University](/colleges/jacksonville-state-university), [Georgia State University](/colleges/georgia-state-university), and [University of North Carolina at Charlotte](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-charlotte) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick of the top conference to study respiratory care therapy is the Mountain West Conference with [Boise State University](/colleges/boise-state-university) representing the conference. Based on our comprehensive list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our selection for the best university for respiratory care therapy is [Stony Brook University](/colleges/stony-brook-university).

 The 'best' school does not mean it is the 'best' school for every student. There are lots more facets to think about when deciding on college. Stuff like campus amenities, transportation services, and food would alter your inclinations of where to go to university. At Authority, we evaluated the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you want to know which respiratory care therapy university has the best campus, the winner is [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus). If you are mostly interested in which school is home to the top campus, we have a whole page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through student reviews, professor reviews, government databases, and more so we can evaluate all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can find our comprehensive list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand from that list, our choice for the college with the best student life for respiratory care therapy is [The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-health-science-center-at-san-antonio). Curious why? Keep reading to find out more about our top choices. Some of our decisions will probably shock you.

 If cost is a significant deciding factor in your decision on where to go to school, you might consider avoiding [Bellarmine University](/colleges/bellarmine-university). [Bellarmine University](/colleges/bellarmine-university)&nbspappears to be our most expensive school for respiratory care therapy, at least regarding out of state enrollment. That being said, we have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspschools that could put the expense of [Bellarmine University](/colleges/bellarmine-university)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you could care to know that respiratory care therapy is the 339th most expensive program in the nation, with an average cost of $20,100. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for respiratory care therapy on our list is Connecticut demonstrated with a cost of $39,220 at University of Hartford. To zoom out even further, the most costly region for respiratory care therapy is unfortunately unavailable due to missing data.

 Our cheapest region for respiratory care therapy is the Southwest region which is represented by [Midwestern State University](/colleges/midwestern-state-university) with a cost of $7,516, [Texas State University](/colleges/texas-state-university) with a cost of $19,868, and [The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-health-science-center-at-san-antonio) with a cost of $18,306. On the bright side, the most affordable university for respiratory care therapy is [Skyline College](/colleges/skyline-college). Authority's comprehensive list of the most affordable schools can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state learners can expect to pay about $8,500 for a degree in respiratory care therapy. That price balloons dramatically to an average of $19,900 for the out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our pick for the college representing the best value for respiratory care therapy: [Loma Linda University](/colleges/loma-linda-university). Through this link you will see our comprehensive list about the colleges we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this section is predicated on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for respiratory care therapy students vary a lot, but two-years after leaving college students will regularly make in the neighborhood of $56,700. While there can be a lot of variation in earnings; highest paid earners can make up to $91,000. Even straight out of school, the minimum earning opportunities within the respiratory care therapy space earn $35,100, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates from respiratory care therapy have come from [Loma Linda University](/colleges/loma-linda-university)&nbspand if you are looking for colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The prevailing diversity of respiratory care therapy stands decent, being within the 64th percentile of all majors. The university with the most composite diversity for respiratory care therapy is [Long Island University](/colleges/long-island-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the universities which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Respiratory Care Therapy major only is within the 11th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is greater than financial diversity, in the 73rd percentile. White collegians compose the largest share at 55% of those studying respiratory care therapy. Additionally, 71% of undergrads pursuing a respiratory care therapy major are women.

 We have insufficient professors data for respiratory care therapy to make the conclusions we normally would have made in this sentence. As we consider data other than basic rankings it becomes clear that the university with the overall best professors for respiratory care therapy is [The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-medical-branch-at-galveston). You can find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as many of the top examples of instructors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult university to get into for respiratory care therapy is [Radford University-Carilion](/colleges/radford-university-carilion). While we do not necessarily see the value in it, we do have a detailed page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). With that said, here at Authority we hope you understand that approaching the higher education world from context mainly built on superlatives can cause issues. We at Authority encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different universities and peruse a few of our informative background pages on essential details to think about as your university search develops.



 ### POPULARITY

 Respiratory care therapy is the 172nd most popular degree in America, with 1,563 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #173 [Computer Programming](/rankings/best-colleges-for-computer-programming), and narrowly lost to #171 [Speech-Language Pathology](/rankings/best-colleges-for-speech-language-pathology).

 The degree is offered at a total of 82 colleges across the nation, and is the 196th most widely offered degree. It is not offered at any of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 78% of colleges offering respiratory care therapy are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most respiratory care therapy graduates, largely led by [Jacksonville State University](/colleges/jacksonville-state-university), while it’s the Mountain West Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Texas ranks highest, with particular help from [Midwestern State University](/colleges/midwestern-state-university) and [Texas State University](/colleges/texas-state-university).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more respiratory care therapy graduates than [George C Wallace Community College-Dothan](/colleges/george-c-wallace-community-college-dothan), which graduated 171 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study respiratory care therapy). More students studied respiratory care therapy as a percentage of total students at [Modesto Junior College](/colleges/modesto-junior-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Respiratory care therapy is the 339th most expensive major in the nation, with a median cost of $20,096 for the top 50 programs (just ahead of #340, [Construction Management](rankings/best-colleges-for-construction-management), with a median cost of $20,059).

 New England has the most expensive schools with first-rate respiratory care therapy programs predominantly led by [University of Hartford](/colleges/university-of-hartford) with an annual cost of $39,220. The most expensive state for respiratory care therapy is Connecticut also led by [University of Hartford](/colleges/university-of-hartford).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 70.16% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 29.93% less than the median private school. So, if you're hoping to attend a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition ASAP.

 The most expensive top 25 college for respiratory care therapy is [Bellarmine University](/colleges/bellarmine-university). The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus](/colleges/universidad-ana-g-mendez-cupey-campus). It costs just $4,920 per year, but it is its respiratory care therapy program is ranked #57. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable college, [Modesto Junior College](/colleges/modesto-junior-college)  could be right for you, ranked #25 with an in-state cost of just $1,104. Another more affordable choice would be #24, [Skyline College](/colleges/skyline-college) in San Mateo County, CA with a cost of $1,380 for in-state students and $9,570 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Paying for college is a massive investment for most. It is critical to lack doubt you get a nice return on that investment. With that in mind, we hope the following job placement and earnings info help you in deciding your focus at college.

 Right out of school, Respiratory Care Therapy graduates generate $48,011 per year on average (top 24%). After a bit more time in their professions, they can make as much as $91,005 to as little as $35,116, but average about $56,740. Just so you know, that's 47% higher than the U.S. average.

 The most popular job for a Respiratory Care Therapy graduate is Registered Nurse, which for the most part make near $46,000; next are Certified Nursing Assistant and Web Developer, which for the most part earn about $22,000 and $55,000 respectively.

 The highest earning region for Respiratory Care Therapy graduates is The Rocky Mountains. The highest grossing state for Respiratory Care Therapy alumni is UT. The highest earning conference for Respiratory Care Therapy graduates is Big West Conference.



### STUDENTS

 College can be an incredibly meaningful time of one's life; it is a time for individual growth and maturation. Scholars attempt to figure out their purpose and forge the requisite skills to become a halcyon adult. But growth isn't confined to the classroom - the conversations one has with their schoolmates, the funny story gained from an eccentric professor, the exposure to a different attitude. Therefore, attending a diverse college tremendously enriches what one gains from the time in school.

 Respiratory Care Therapy is a more racially diverse major than average\*. 55% of the United States' Respiratory Care Therapy majors are white students, followed by latino students (17%), black students (11%), and students of other races\*\*(9%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Stony Brook University](/colleges/stony-brook-university)&nbspin Stony Brook, NY.

 In addition, Respiratory Care Therapy significatly skews female, with a shade greater than 7/10 of students majoring in Respiratory Care Therapy identifying as women. [Midland University](/colleges/midland-university) in Fremont, NE has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another important type of diversity is financial diversity. Unfortunately, Respiratory Care Therapy is one of the US' least fiscally diverse subjects (Bottom 11%). 36% of its majors come from households making less than $30,000 a year, 16% are from households bringing in between $30,000 and $48,000 a year, and 19% grew up in very high income homes. [Oregon Institute of Technology](/colleges/oregon-institute-of-technology) is the most economically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall NY is the most diverse state for Respiratory Care Therapy. The Mid East is the most diverse region, and the America East is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 8%
* Black: 11%
* Latino: 17%
* White: 55%
* Other: 9%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 29%
* Female: 71%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 36%
* 30k - 48k: 16%
* 48k - 75k: 15%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 19%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 83%
* Out of State: 14%
* International: 3%


Ohio State University-Main Campus

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Foothill College

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Liberty University

Nova Southeastern University

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Moraine Park Technical College

Stony Brook University

University of North Carolina Wilmington

University of Kansas

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

O C Collins Career Center

University of Mary

George C Wallace Community College-Dothan

Samford University

Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

St Catherine University

Southern Regional Technical College

Molloy College

Long Island University

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There are about 36,147 students enrolled in Respiratory Care Therapy in the USA.

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There are about 36,147 students enrolled in Respiratory Care Therapy in the USA.

SALARY