El Paso Community College, Rio Grande sonography program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS, echocardiography (adult) program in El Paso, Six semesters, starting in summer. 17 of its 17 graduates passed their credentialing exams over 2024 to 2025 (exam); 2024 to 2026 (retention and placement).
El Paso Community College also runs a general track (96.4% credential exam rate).
The short version
- Its credential exam rate (100%) is above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 9 | 100% |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
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
El Paso Community College does not publish a total cost for this program. No program total or fixed itemized cost list for the echocardiography program found on the school site. 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 El Paso
The median yearly wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in the El Paso metro area is $81,020. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other sonography programs in the El Paso area
Compare all 3 sonography programs in the El Paso area
| Program | credential exam rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso Community College, Rio Grande (this page) AAS, echocardiography (adult), El Paso | 100% | 100% | Not published |
| El Paso Community College AAS, general sonography, El Paso | 96.4% | 97.0% | $9,812 |
| Pima Medical Institute, El Paso Associate degree, general sonography, El Paso | 80.9% | 92.1% | $50,193 |
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, echocardiography (adult)
- Length
- Six semesters, starting in summer
- Starts
- Summer; ranking date March 1, up to 10 students admitted
- Before you apply
- BIOL 2404, ENGL 1301, PHYS 1301 with PHYS 1101 for ranking, plus HPRS 1206 Medical Terminology, with a 2.8 EPCC GPA and C or better.
- Entrance exam
- None beyond TSIA2 college-readiness minimums
- Accreditation
- CAAHEP, on the recommendation of JRC-CVT, Accredited by CAAHEP on recommendation of JRC-CVT (adult echocardiography)
- Leads to
- ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams
Sources and dates
- El Paso Community College, Rio Grande program outcomes page, 2024 to 2026 effectiveness data, no as-of date. Retention 28 of 31 (page shows 90% average); placement within 6 months 28 of 28. 2026 credential results reportable May 2027..
- 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