Del Mar College, Windward (cardiac) sonography program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS, cardiac sonography program in Corpus Christi, 5 semesters (18 months). 9 of its 11 graduates passed their credentialing exams over 2022 to 2024.
Del Mar College also runs a general track (80.0% credential exam rate).
The short version
- Its credential exam rate (81.8%) is below the Texas program median of 93.3%.
- 100% of graduates looking for work in the field found a job, by JRC-DMS's measure.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How graduates do
JRC-DMS requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 3
| Year | Passed | Took the exam | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| 2023 | 3 | 4 | 75.0% |
| 2022 | 3 | 4 | 75.0% |
Graduates who passed the ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams for their concentration, as the program reports it to JRC-DMS. Job placement: graduates employed in sonography, as the program reports it to JRC-DMS.
What it costs
Del Mar College does not publish a total cost for this program. Del Mar's packet gives only 2024-2025 tuition by semester hours and about $1,760 of other costs, not a program total. Ask the program for its cost sheet; contact details are on its page.
For comparison only, not this program's price: the 13 Texas sonography programs that publish a cost range from $4,810 to $50,193, with a median of $8,743.
What diagnostic medical sonographers earn around Corpus Christi
The median yearly wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in the Corpus Christi metro area is $79,370. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other sonography programs in the Corpus Christi area
Compare all 2 sonography programs in the Corpus Christi area
| Program | credential exam rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Mar College, Windward (this page) AAS, cardiac sonography, Corpus Christi | 81.8% | 100% | Not published |
| Del Mar College, Windward AAS, general sonography, Corpus Christi | 80.0% | 78.0% | Not published |
After you graduate: getting to work in Texas
Texas does not license sonographers. Employers typically require a national credential: ARDMS (the SPI exam plus a specialty exam, for RDMS, RDCS or RVT) or CCI (such as RCS).
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pass the ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam.4 | $275 |
| Pass a specialty exam within five years of the SPI, for example Abdomen for the RDMS (AB).5 | $300 |
| Alternative for cardiac graduates: take the CCI Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) exam as a graduate of an accredited cardiac ultrasound program.6 | $365not counted |
Typical fees to start working: $575. Counts the ARDMS route to the RDMS in abdomen: SPI ($275) plus the abdomen exam ($300). The CCI cardiac route ($365) is an alternative. There is no state fee. ARDMS credentials renew annually ($105 for RDMS, RDCS, RVT) with CME over a three-year cycle; CCI credentials renew for $165 with 36 CEUs per three-year cycle after the first renewal. Full guide: how to become a sonographer in Texas
Program facts
- Credential
- AAS, cardiac sonography
- Length
- 5 semesters (18 months)
- Schedule
- Classes with rotating clinical assignments at sites within 150 miles of Corpus Christi
- Starts
- Summer only
- Before you apply
- Finish Composition I, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, a physics course, and core math, speech, social science and creative arts or humanities courses by the end of fall, plus CNA certification or an exemption.
- Accreditation
- JRC-DMS, Accredited by CAAHEP on recommendation of JRC-DMS (concentrations: abdomen-extended, adult cardiac)
- Leads to
- ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams
Sources and dates
- Del Mar College, Windward program outcomes page, Page last updated June 4, 2026. Retention 3-year average 87%, placement 100%..
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032), May 2025 estimates.
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (programs accredited by CAAHEP) (JRC-DMS), checked Nov. 2026.
- Inteleos/ARDMS SPI Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- ARDMS AB Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- CCI Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS), 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 JRC-DMS. Our independence policy