2026 Best Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in Tennessee
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools to find the best for respiratory care therapy/therapist students.
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Best Schools for Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall respiratory care therapy/therapist education in Tennessee.
Top Schools in Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
East Tennessee State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in respiratory care therapy/therapist. This large public university is located in the city of Johnson City. Roughly 53% of students complete a degree within six years here. East Tennessee State University awarded about 17 respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $48,671. East Tennessee State University graduates carry a median of $24,568 in student loans.
Read more about the respiratory care therapy/therapist program at East Tennessee State University
Jackson State Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Jackson State Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Jackson. About 12 respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Jackson State Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the respiratory care therapy/therapist program make about $48,919 in their early career. Jackson State Community College graduates carry a median of $8,553 in student loans.
See the full respiratory care therapy/therapist program report for Jackson State Community College
Volunteer State Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Volunteer State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Gallatin. There were roughly 13 respiratory care therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at Volunteer State Community College in the most recent data year. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Volunteer State Community College earn a median of $46,658 early in their careers. Volunteer State Community College graduates carry a median of $10,906 in student loans.
Read more about the respiratory care therapy/therapist program at Volunteer State Community College
Walters State Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Morristown. Walters State Community College awarded about 11 respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Walters State Community College earn a median of $43,173 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $10,210.
Get the full respiratory care therapy/therapist details for Walters State Community College
A rank of #5 makes Tennessee State University one of the top schools for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Set in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public institution. About 35% of students finish within six years. About 17 respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Tennessee State University generally make around $48,894. Tennessee State University graduates carry a median of $29,489 in student loans.
More information about a degree in respiratory care therapy/therapist from Tennessee State University
Concorde Career College Memphis landed the #6 spot for respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. This small private for-profit university is located in the city of Memphis. Concorde Career College Memphis awarded about 26 respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the respiratory care therapy/therapist program make about $46,724 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,427 to complete this degree.
Get the full respiratory care therapy/therapist details for Concorde Career College Memphis
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.
- 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.