A variety of universities in the United States offer degrees for Respiratory Therapists.
From premature infants to the elderly, patients experiencing breathing problems seek the help of a respiratory therapist. While programs in respiratory therapy are far from common, in 2010 every major geographical region in the United States had at least one college or university that offered a degree in respiratory care or respiratory therapy.
Boise State University
Idaho’s Boise State University offers several degree options for those interested in respiratory therapy careers. Students may earn AS, BS, or both in Respiratory Care. Additionally, the university offers an online program that allows registered respiratory therapists to earn a BS in respiratory care with the completion of 30 credit hours, about two years of part-time study. Other noteworthy features of Boise State’s Respiratory Care program as of 2010 include a 100-percent graduate employment rate and six scholarships specifically available for respiratory care. According to the College Board, the Fall 2009 enrollment at Boise State included 16,693 undergraduates and 2,240 graduate students. The College Board reports a Fall 2010 on-campus annual cost of attendance of $15,586 for in-state students and $25,042 for out-of-state students. The average financial aid package in 2009 totaled $7,491, according to the College Board.
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, ID 83725
208-426-1101
boisestate.edu
Ball State University
Ball State University divides the Respiratory Therapy program into two segments. The first is General Studies, which takes place during the freshman and sophomore years with classes at the university campus. Students then spend five semesters (including summer semester between the junior and senior years) in the Professional Studies segment, with instruction at Indianapolis Methodist Hospital, which has clinical sites throughout Central Indiana. Students should apply to the Professional Studies portion of the program by January 1 of the year they intend to begin their professional coursework. The College Board reports a fall 2009 enrollment of almost 21,000 students, including 17,737 undergraduates. In fall 2010, the College Board reports that on-campus students have a total annual cost of attendance of $20,350 for in-state students and $33,802 for out-of-state students. On average, financial aid covers $9,489 of that cost, according to the College Board.
Ball State University
2000 West University Avenue
Muncie, IN 47306-1022
765-289-1241
bsu.edu
Texas Southern University
Houston’s Texas Southern University holds the distinction of being the only Historically Black college to offer a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care (though Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University offers a BS in Cardiopulmonary Sciences). A traditional student at Texas Southern University must submit a separate application to the respiratory therapy program in the fall semester before he intends to begin his professional coursework, as professional classes begin each spring. Students with related professional credentials and/or college credits may qualify for Advanced Standing, which offers an accelerated program due to a special curriculum plan. Total enrollment in 2009, according to the College Board, included almost 10,000 students, about 75 percent as undergraduates. On-campus students had a Fall 2009 total cost of attendance of $10,817 for in-state students and $19,127 for out-of-state students, according to the College Board. The College Board reports that the average financial aid package covered only $1,200 of this cost.
Texas Southern University
3100 Cleburne Street
Houston, TX 77004
713-313-7011
tsu.edu
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Armstrong Atlantic State University requires students to complete all of the required core coursework before entering the Respiratory Therapy program. The College Board reports a Fall 2009 enrollment of almost 7,500 students, including fewer than 1,000 graduate students. The annual cost of attendance for on-campus students in Fall 2009 (including room only, not board), according to the College Board, totaled $11,152 for in-state students and $22,766 for out-of-state students; an average financial aid package of $6,500 covered an average 82 percent of student need. The university website cautions that uniforms and other expenses specific to the major add about $2,500 to the total educational cost over the two years of professional study.
Armstrong Atlantic State University
11935 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419-1997
912-344-2576
armstrong.edu
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The BS in Respiratory Care curriculum at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (also known as Stony Brook University) includes 8 credit hours of optional Polysomnography Certification Courses for those interested in training to work with patients who have sleep disorders. The College Board reports that in Fall 2009 Stony Brook enrolled just under 25,000 students, about two-thirds of them as undergraduates. The Fall 2009 total on-campus cost of attendance, according to the College Board, came to $19,199 for in-state students and $27,099 for out-of-state students, with the average financial aid package totaling $9,181.
State University of New York at Stony Brook
100 Nicolls Road
Stony Brook, NY 11794
(631) 689-6000
stonybrook.edu
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