Respiratory therapists focus on cardiology and pulmonology, addressing issues of airway management and respiratory care so they can help patients do the single action most necessary for a person to survive: breathe.
Though they are health care professionals, respiratory therapists are not limited to working in hospitals by any means. Opportunities abound in doctor's offices, home health service companies, nursing homes and even businesses that rent out respiratory therapy equipment. However, whatever type of facility you ultimately see yourself working for, the education that can help you make a start in the field can be found at many schools, including those that are available online.
To help students choose a school that will meet their needs and emphasize their talents, we compared 17 schools that offer online respiratory therapy degree programs, using data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). We analyzed this data using our unique methodology and created a list of the top 10 online colleges for respiratory therapy, visible below.
When it comes to online respiratory therapy degrees, Midwestern State University offers its own take on this field. Through its registered respiratory therapist to B.S. in respiratory care (RRT-to-BSRC) program, the school endeavors to help its students reach the highest ranks in respiratory therapy at hospitals and clinics around the country. This school scored second place in our study based primarily on their high percentage of awarded respiratory therapy degrees and their affordable tuition.
Another factor that sets this school and program apart is the fact that the RRT-to-BSRC program is a "bridge program," meaning it was created for individuals who already have an associate degree in this field. Thanks to the flexibility of this online degree program, those already working in respiratory therapy can pursue their bachelor's degrees from the comfort of their own homes and on their own timelines.
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3410 Taft BlvdOregon Institute of Technology offers a unique degree completion program for registered respiratory therapists who want to earn a bachelor's degree. A degree completion program is a program specifically designed for students who previously completed some of the courses and credits for their degree, but have been separated from the university setting for a period of time. Offering flexibility and accelerated learning due to recognizing previous work, this program is ideal for anybody who was forced to leave school due to financial, medical or familial reasons.
Among online bachelor's degrees for respiratory therapy, this school ranked No.3 in no small part due to having the third highest percentage of respiratory therapy degrees awarded in 2015. Oregon Tech was also recognized recently for their ranking in the top 2 percent of respiratory therapy degree programs by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), and as a recipient of the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award.
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3201 Campus DriveBoise State University offers another excellent RRS-to-BS bridge program, like Midwestern State before it. Created for working respiratory therapists who already have an associate degree, this program offers flexible online courses that are easy to complete during evenings and weekends, or in your spare time. The courses for this program are offered asynchronously, meaning that there is no set time for classes; while there are still deadlines for assignments, students can engage with their course materials at any time that is most convenient for them.
Between its third-most affordable tuition and fourth-highest admissions rate, both out of all 17 schools analyzed, it's no surprise that this school secures the No.4 ranking on our list.
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1910 University Dr.Florida National University made this list of best online colleges for respiratory therapy based on its innovative Bachelor of Science in respiratory therapy program. This program is another bridge program, created with working respiratory therapists in mind. Due to the overall flexibility and online nature of the program, professionals already in this field can pursue a bachelor's degree in their spare time.
This university is the only other institution on our list to have an open admissions program, as Independence University does, making it highly accessible to hopeful applicants. Florida National also earned solid ratings for its percentage of respiratory therapy degrees awarded and percentage of students who graduated in 2015.
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4425 West. Jose Regueiro (20th) AvenueThe Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and Allied Health offers the only online bachelor's degree completion program in the region. This degree program was created for registered respiratory therapists with an associate degree who want to become a leader in their field. Students can complete all their coursework online and from their own homes. Best of all, this school offers rolling application dates and opens their program to new students in August, January and May each year.
Getting into the Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and Allied Health is not easy; the school is quite selective and has many applicants each year. However, if you make the cut, you can rest easy knowing that the college boasts the highest graduation rate of any school analyzed in this study, as well as the second highest percentage of respiratory therapy degrees awarded amongst its graduating students.
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720 North 87th StreetIn 1935, Armstrong Junior College was opened to a mere 175 students in the halls of a historical mansion donated by the family of George F. Armstrong. Having since expanded and changed its name to Armstrong State University, this institute resides in a brand new, state of the art facility and is the second most affordable college for online respiratory therapy out of the 17 we reviewed for this study. This would be quite a recommendation on its own, but Armstrong also achieved respectable No.8 ranks both for admissions and for percentage of respiratory therapy degrees awarded.
Like some of the other schools on this list, Armstrong State's respiratory therapy degree program is a degree completion program, and offering such a flexible program is just one sign of the college's accommodating nature. In 2015, Armstrong was named a top performing school for underrepresented minority students by the Education Trust, and in 2016 the college was also named a top school for veterans and military spouses.
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11935 Abercorn StWhile there are many interesting respiratory therapy degree programs offered by the schools on this list, the University of North Carolina offers a particularly special take on the subject. With their 2+2 program, you can join the program with an associate degree and complete the last two years of your education online. Upon completion of this online program, you'll have a bachelor's degree that can help you excel in your career and learn an even greater breadth of skills.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is, bar none, the No.1 most affordable college out of all 17 schools reviewed in our study, and it even ranked seventh place for graduation rate in the bargain. Students interested in respiratory therapy completion programs should certainly consider the University of North Carolina for its affordable tuition rates and dynamic offerings.
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9201 University City BlvdAugusta University earned its spot on this list of top online colleges for respiratory therapy in large part due to its manageable tuition costs. Of the 17 schools evaluated, Augusta was the fifth most affordable. Like many other schools that provide online degree programs in respiratory therapy, Augusta University offers a degree completion program that leads to bachelor's degrees in respiratory therapy. By enrolling in this program, respiratory therapists with an associate degree can increase their learning and advance their careers. Students who join this program will need to complete 120 credit hours, with the option to pursue online learning part-time.
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1120 Fifteenth StThe University of Cincinnati offers an accredited online respiratory therapy degree completion program for certified respiratory therapists and registered respiratory therapists. In this program, working professionals can study online and earn a bachelor's degree in as few as 20 months.
Not only does this school feature a robust curriculum focused on the intricacies of respiratory therapy practice and research, but our analysis shows that it has the third highest admissions rate and the fourth highest graduation rate of the 17 schools we looked at. Registered respiratory therapists interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree to secure higher pay or promotions should consider this program and what it can offer.
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2624 Clifton AvenueIn most cases, entering the field of respiratory therapy requires at least an associate degree. As such, those who want to enter this field will have to prepare themselves for at least some amount of schooling. The section below describes some of the coursework that students might take in programs and the skills they may want to focus on developing during that time.
Online education for respiratory therapy programs cover different topics based on the degree level they are set at. The following list describes some of the common courses students might cover at these various degree levels.
If they're paying attention, students working on an online program for respiratory therapy should learn more than just the proper way to use a CPAP machine. Respiratory therapy professionals benefit from having not only technical skills, but also kindness and empathy for the patients they will work with.
People with conditions like emphysema and asthma can literally breathe a sigh of relief because of the work done by professionals in the respiratory therapy field. Between our aging population, a growing emphasis on reducing readmission to hospitals, and the prevalence of air pollution and products such as cigarettes, this is a field that is increasingly acquiring the breathing room it deserves.
Patients with breathing challenges receive treatment from professionals in respiratory therapist careers. Respiratory therapists have job duties such as examining patients with cardiopulmonary disorders; performing tests on lungs to measure their capacity; providing emergency care such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and external cardiac massage; inspecting equipment to ensure it is functioning properly; and keeping track of patients' condition and altering treatments as they progress.
In most states, respiratory therapists are required to earn a certification from The National Board for Respiratory Care in order to work in the field. The certification process may involve completing a degree from an accredited school and passing a licensing examination administered by the state.