Respiratory therapists must have a minimum of an associate degree from an accredited respiratory therapy education program. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is the organization that accredits schools of respiratory therapy.

To access a current list of accredited respiratory therapist programs, go to the CoARC website. There you may search for programs by name, state, degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or polysomnography certificate), or category (RRT, satellite, polysomnography, etc). These programs provide students who possess no prior documented competency in respiratory care, with the knowledge and clinical skills required to function competently as a respiratory therapist.  The AARC provides a separate list of programs that offer an associate degree in respiratory therapy and with a baccalaureate degree option. This list also contains some additional information about all programs offering a baccalaureate or masters degree in respiratory therapy as the first professional degree. While the list of accredited programs on the CoARC website is updated continuously as accreditation decisions are made; the AARC list of baccalaureate and masters level programs is updated only annually. Therefore, the current accreditation status of these programs should always be checked on the CoARC website.

Interested in comparing accredited programs? See how programs compare in regard to the success of their graduates obtaining a professional credential, their dropout rate, and the success of their graduates in finding employment.

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is the organization responsible for the accreditation of respiratory therapy educational programs. Accreditation status of each program is constantly updated and can be verified by contacting:

Commission on Accreditation
for Respiratory Care
1248 Harwood Road
Bedford, Tx 76021-4244
817-283-28352835

“Spotlight on Accreditation” was produced by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and may not be copied or used for commercial purposes. All rights are reserved by CAAHEP. For more information go to www.caahep.org.