2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in the New England Region
[Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/respiratory-care-therapy-therapist/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 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 the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in respiratory care therapy/therapist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools
For return on investment in respiratory care therapy/therapist, no school beat Northern Essex Community College this year. Northern Essex Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Haverhill. Students from in state pay about $6,732 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,516. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $14,697 in student loans. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Northern Essex Community College earn a median of $67,610 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,697 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Community College Of Rhode Island one of the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Located in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,550, while out-of-state students pay about $14,834. Students borrow a median of $14,123 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Community College Of Rhode Island earn a median of $58,304 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,123 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes North Shore Community College one of the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Set in the suburb of Danvers, North Shore Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,352, compared with $10,920 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,833 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from North Shore Community College generally make around $62,934. That is a strong return on a $18,833 median debt.
Kennebec Valley Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Kennebec Valley Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Fairfield. Students from in state pay about $4,156 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,036. Students borrow a median of $20,977 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Kennebec Valley Community College earn a median of $53,243 early in their careers. Set against $20,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Massasoit Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in respiratory care therapy/therapist, landing the #5 spot this year. Massasoit Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Brockton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,376, with out-of-state students paying around $10,320. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $14,525 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $56,929. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Quinsigamond Community College placed #6 among the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Located in the city of Worcester, Quinsigamond Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,262, with out-of-state students paying around $11,206. Students borrow a median of $23,032 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Quinsigamond Community College earn a median of $69,051 early in their careers. Set against $23,032 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Springfield Technical Community College landed the #7 spot for respiratory care therapy/therapist value this year. Springfield Technical Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Springfield. In-state tuition and fees average $5,904, while out-of-state students pay about $11,112. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $15,166. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Springfield Technical Community College earn a median of $64,346 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Capital Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Located in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,338 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,596. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $12,250. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Capital Community College generally make around $71,139. Set against $12,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Maine Community College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Set in the city of South Portland, Southern Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,156, compared with $7,036 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $16,625. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Southern Maine Community College earn a median of $64,549 early in their careers. Set against $16,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
River Valley Community College placed #10 among the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Located in the rural area of Claremont, River Valley Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,940, while out-of-state students pay about $15,190. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $26,541. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of River Valley Community College earn a median of $61,790 early in their careers. Set against $26,541 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Connecticut State University earned the #11 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Set in the city of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,442, compared with $16,942 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $26,000. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $50,876. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Connecticut State University admits about 92% of applicants.
University Of Hartford earned the #12 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Set in the city of West Hartford, University Of Hartford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,075. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $27,000. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of University Of Hartford earn a median of $73,906 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Hartford admits about 96% of applicants.
Northeastern University earned the #13 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $66,162 in tuition and fees. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $25,611 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $74,800. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
New England Institute Of Technology landed the #14 spot for respiratory care therapy/therapist value this year. New England Institute Of Technology is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of East Greenwich. Students from in state pay about $37,275 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $20,629. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from New England Institute Of Technology generally make around $56,860. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
