There are a number of respiratory therapist schools in Arizona that provide high quality education to anyone looking to become a certified respiratory therapist.
Carrington College
One of these schools is Carrington College that has a Respiratory Care Degree Program that is taught at two locations, the Mesa and West Phoenix campuses.
To qualify for admission you need to be at least 16, have a high school diploma or equivalent, interview with someone in the admissions office and complete an admissions test.
Like the other respiratory therapist schools in Arizona, Carrington has several financial aid programs such as Federal Student Aid, Pell Grants and aid for Veterans.
According to the Carrington College website:
Students of our Respiratory Care program receive the hands-on training needed to help them succeed in a career as a respiratory therapist. Here are just a few great reasons to consider a respiratory care education at Carrington College:
- Our program is designed to meet the strict standards set by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC)
- The program is an interesting mix of formal classroom instruction, lab exercises and clinical experiences
- We prepare you to sit the NBRC credentialing exam – the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) exam
Additionally upon completing the program graduates must pass the NBRC CRT exam to gain the credentials needed to receive a state license.
GateWay Community College
Another one of the fully accredited schools in Arizona that has a great program is GateWay Community College in Phoenix. They also offer financial aid and have the distinction of being a stop on the METRO Light Rail line so getting to school is easy if you live in Phoenix, Tempe or Mesa.
I also like the fact that they are is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools which is the agency that accredits many of the big name colleges.
Job prospects for graduates are very good according to GateWay:
In Arizona, Registered Respiratory Therapist positions are expected to increase 30% or more by 2016. On average, Respiratory Therapists earn an hourly rate of $22.52, for an average annual salary of $46,830.
So employment prospects for respiratory therapists in Arizona are pretty good and you can get your degree from GateWay in about 2 years.
Pima College
The final one of the respiratory therapist schools in Arizona worth mentioning is Pima College which offers degrees in respiratory therapy in Mesa and Tucson.
Their program takes about 21 months to complete and they offer financial aid and lifetime job placement assistance for their graduates and costs to complete the program are estimated to be about $31,332.
These are the top three respiratory therapist schools in Arizona and after studying their sites and program offerings and based on my own great experience attending my local community college I would seriously look at either Carrington College or GateWay Community College as my first choices.