Tarrant County College, Trinity River East respiratory therapy program costs $7,041. Here is how its graduates do.
An AAS program in Fort Worth, 66 semester credit hours. 38 of its 41 graduates earned the RRT credential over 2022 to 2024.
The short version
- Its RRT credential rate (92.7%) is above the Texas program median of 77.1%.
- 95.1% 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 0.8 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
About half of every dollar goes to tuition and fees, 2026-2027 in-county. Tuition and fees figure is from the program page; other items are from the cost analysis page, which lists no tuition amounts. Combined by us; the school does not state this sum.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, 2026-2027 in-county | $4,884 |
| Textbooks | $1,457 |
| ID, drug screening and security requirements | $150 |
| Clinic Online tracking fee | $150 |
| Uniforms | $250 |
| Self-Assessment Examinations | $150 |
| Total 1 | $7,041 |
* How we calculated this: Tuition and fees from the program page plus the items on the school's program cost page. The school does not state this total.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Tuition and fees 2026-2027 (in-county); program expenses page updated Oct 27, 2026.
What respiratory therapists earn around Fort Worth
The median yearly wage for respiratory therapists in the Fort Worth metro area is $84,080. 3 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other respiratory therapy programs in the Fort Worth area
| Program | RRT credential rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weatherford College AAS, Weatherford | 96.8% | 93.7% | $12,665 |
| Tarrant County College, Trinity River East (this page) AAS, Fort Worth | 92.7% | 95.1% | $7,041 |
Program facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- 66 semester credit hours
- Accreditation
- CoARC, Continuing Accreditation (reaccredited 2025, through 2035) (program 200195)
- Leads to
- NBRC credentialing exams (TMC and CSE) for the RRT credential
- Sector
- Public
Sources and dates
- TCC Respiratory Care program page and Respiratory Care cost analysis, Tuition and fees 2026-2027 (in-county); program expenses page updated Oct 27, 2026.
- CoARC program outcomes for Tarrant County College, Trinity River East, 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