Texas Southmost College sonography program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS, general sonography program in Brownsville, 6 terms of program courses, fall through the second spring (about 21 months). 23 of its 23 graduates passed their credentialing exams over 2023 to 2025.
The short version
- Its credential exam rate (100%) is above the Texas program median of 93.3%.
- 96.0% of graduates looking for work in the field found a job, by JRC-DMS's measure.
- 77.0% of students stayed in the program, by JRC-DMS's retention 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 | 7 | 7 | 100% |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 2023 | 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
Texas Southmost College does not publish a total cost for this program. Texas Southmost College does not publish a sonography program total or cost sheet, only a general tuition schedule. 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 Rio Grande Valley
The median yearly wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in the Rio Grande Valley metro area is $78,160. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
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, general sonography
- Length
- 6 terms of program courses, fall through the second spring (about 21 months)
- Starts
- Fall (applications due end of May)
- Before you apply
- BIOL 2301, BIOL 2302, MATH 1314, PHYS 1305 and ENGL 1301.
- Accreditation
- JRC-DMS, Accredited by CAAHEP on recommendation of JRC-DMS
- Leads to
- ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams
Sources and dates
- Texas Southmost College program outcomes page, AR2025 effectiveness report. OB/GYN also 100%. Retention 3-year average 77%, placement 96%..
- 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