Hill College, Johnson County (cardiac) sonography program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS, cardiac sonography program in Cleburne, 2 years, 60 credit hours. 89.0% of its graduates passed their credentialing exams in 2023.
Hill College also runs a vascular track.
The short version
- Its credential exam rate (89.0%) is below the Texas program median of 93.3%.
- 83.3% 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
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
Hill College does not publish a total cost for this program. No program total or fixed itemized cost list found; school pages list only the $50 HESI fee. 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 Fort Worth
The median yearly wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in the Fort Worth metro area is $98,810. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other sonography programs in the Fort Worth area
Compare all 6 sonography programs in the Fort Worth area
| Program | credential exam rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College, Trinity River East AAS, general sonography, Fort Worth | 100% | 100% | $4,810 |
| Weatherford College AAS, general sonography, Weatherford | 100% | 100% | $13,204 |
| Weatherford College AAS, cardiovascular sonography, Weatherford | 100% | 100% | $12,599 |
| Hill College, Johnson County (this page) AAS, cardiac sonography, Cleburne | 89.0% | 83.3% | Not published |
| The College of Health Care Professions, Fort Worth AAS, general sonography, Fort Worth | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Hill College, Johnson County Certificate, vascular sonography, Cleburne | Not reported | Not reported | 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
- 2 years, 60 credit hours
- Schedule
- In person with clinicals at local hospital partners
- Before you apply
- Lab science courses taken within 5 years of the deadline, TSI completion, background check, BLS CPR and immunizations.
- Entrance exam
- HESI A2 (minimum 60% composite, 55% math, 65% reading)
- Accreditation
- CAAHEP, on the recommendation of JRC-CVT, Accredited by CAAHEP on recommendation of JRC-CVT (per CAAHEP listing)
- Leads to
- ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams
Sources and dates
- Hill College, Johnson County program outcomes page, Program page table for 2018 to 2023, no counts and no as-of date. Pass rates: 2018 100%, 2019 84% (page cites COVID testing closures), 2020 100%, 2021 90.9%, 2022 100%, 2023 89%. Placement 2022 and 2023 83.3%. Nothing newer than 2023 shown..
- 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