2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in Wisconsin

[Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/respiratory-care-therapy-therapist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong respiratory care therapy/therapist education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for respiratory care therapy/therapist students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in Wisconsin
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools
Leading the list is Milwaukee Area Technical College, our #1 best value for respiratory care therapy/therapist in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,184, while out-of-state students pay about $7,427. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $23,038. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Milwaukee Area Technical College generally make around $54,937. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in respiratory care therapy/therapist will find it at Moraine Park Technical College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Fond du Lac, Moraine Park Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,819, with out-of-state students paying around $7,084. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $11,067. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Moraine Park Technical College earn a median of $46,439 early in their careers. Set against $11,067 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Northeast Wisconsin Technical College one of the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Green Bay. Students from in state pay about $4,960 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,203. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $16,318 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $53,522. That is a strong return on a $16,318 median debt.
Mid State Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Set in the town of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid State Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,002, with out-of-state students paying around $7,171. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $12,088. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $52,536. Set against $12,088 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Located in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,844, with out-of-state students paying around $7,087. Students borrow a median of $15,935 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Chippewa Valley Technical College generally make around $53,972. Set against $15,935 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Western Technical College La Cross earned the #6 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Located in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College La Cross is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,820, while out-of-state students pay about $7,078. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $15,201 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $53,085. That is a strong return on a $15,201 median debt.
Madison Area Technical College earned the #7 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Madison Area Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $4,977, while out-of-state students pay about $7,141. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $19,946 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $59,826. That is a strong return on a $19,946 median debt.
Marian University Wisconsin earned the #8 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Set in the city of Fond Du Lac, Marian University Wisconsin is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,204. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Marian University Wisconsin generally make around $62,018. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.