Alvin Community College respiratory therapy program costs $8,441 to $11,549. Here is how its graduates do.
An AAS program in Alvin, 2 years. 23 of its 36 graduates earned the RRT credential over 2022 to 2024.
The short version
- Its RRT credential rate (63.9%) is below the Texas program median of 77.1%.
- 83.3% of graduates looking for work in the field found a job, by CoARC's measure.
- Its published cost is at or below the median for Texas respiratory therapy programs that publish one ($10,000).
- At 10% of the local median wage for respiratory therapists, the program cost is paid back in about 1.0 years.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How graduates do
CoARC requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 4
Graduates who earned the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, divided by all graduates, as reported to CoARC for a three-year period. Job placement: graduates employed in respiratory care (or continuing their education) within the CoARC reporting period, divided by graduates surveyed.
Where the money goes
Nine of every ten dollars goes to tuition, fees and textbooks, prerequisites plus 5 program semesters (in-district). Out-of-district tuition, fees and books total $10,648.88. Scrub embroidery ($10 each) and seminars ($20 to $50 each) are extra. The physical exam can run up to $200.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition, fees and textbooks, prerequisites plus 5 program semesters (in-district) | $7,641 |
| Health portal (Viewpoint Screening) | $90 |
| Physical exam, TB test and hepatitis vaccine (low estimate) | $100 |
| Scrubs | $95 |
| Parking (2 years) | $30 |
| Second-year TB test | $15 |
| Graduation cap and gown | $30 |
| AARC membership (2 years) | $50 |
| NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice exam | $190 |
| NBRC Clinical Simulation exam | $200 |
| Total 1 | $8,441 |
* How we calculated this: We added the page's tuition table total and its fixed additional costs, using the low end of the physical exam range; high uses out-of-district tuition and the top of that range.
Not included: living costs. Undated page, live Nov 5, 2026.
What respiratory therapists earn around Houston
The median yearly wage for respiratory therapists in the Houston metro area is $80,450. 3 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other respiratory therapy programs in the Houston area
| Program | RRT credential rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston City College AAS, Houston | 93.3% | 96.7% | Not published |
| UTMB MS, Galveston | 90.3% | 100% | $32,594 |
| Lone Star College, Kingwood AAS, Kingwood | 84.3% | 93.1% | $9,487 |
| Pima Medical Institute, Houston AAS, Houston | 66.7% | 83.3% | $54,358 |
| Alvin Community College (this page) AAS, Alvin | 63.9% | 83.3% | $8,441 to $11,549 |
| San Jacinto College, Central AAS, Pasadena | 54.5% | 53.0% | Not published |
| Texas Southern University BS, Houston | 35.0% | 55.0% | Not published |
Program facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- 2 years
- Schedule
- Classroom, lab and supervised hospital experience
- Starts
- Applications April 1 to June 1 each year
- Before you apply
- Finish English Composition I, Anatomy and Physiology I and II and a core math course with a C or better by the spring of the year you apply.
- Entrance exam
- Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT)
- Accreditation
- CoARC, Accredited (CoARC site visit Nov 17-18, 2025) (program 200307)
- Leads to
- NBRC credentialing exams (TMC and CSE) for the RRT credential
- Sector
- Public
Sources and dates
- Alvin Community College Respiratory Care Program Costs, Undated page, live Nov 5, 2026.
- CoARC program outcomes for Alvin Community College, reported July 1, 2025, for Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Respiratory Therapists (29-1126), May 2025 estimates.
- Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), checked Nov. 2026.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or CoARC. Our independence policy