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Respiratory therapy programs in Alabama

5 respiratory therapy programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

5 schools offer these respiratory therapy programs, and Alabama has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing, for example from a chronic condition such as asthma. Most need at least an associate degree in respiratory therapy from an accredited program, with supervised practice treating patients, and some employers prefer a bachelor's degree.1 All 49 states that license respiratory therapists base the license on the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).2

In Alabama, 2 of the 5 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 3 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 5 programs here are respiratory therapy program (level not stated, 3 programs) and respiratory therapy (associate degree, 2 programs).

See the 5 programs

How much do respiratory therapy programs cost in Alabama?

$12,000 to $12,600 is what most respiratory therapy programs in Alabama cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 5 programs with a price. All of them: $11,662 to $12,768

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Left out
Alabama's rates sit far below every other state's
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Alabama may also offer respiratory therapy programs. How these figures are made

Are there free respiratory therapy programs in Alabama?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 5 respiratory therapy programs in Alabama approved for WIOA funding

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5 programs

  • Respiratory therapy program (level not stated)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Respiratory Therapy

    Jefferson State Community College

    Birmingham

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Jefferson State Community College, BirminghamRespiratory therapy program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$41,000
    Price if you pay yourself$12,768

    3 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Respiratory Therapy at Jefferson State Community College
    More details about Respiratory Therapy at Jefferson State Community College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,252
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    $3,109
    Students counted
    104
    Earned a year, estimated
    $41,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,768
    students trained with WIOA funding
    3
    Program website, Respiratory Therapy at Jefferson State Community College

  • Respiratory therapy (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Respiratory Therapy AAS

    Wallace State Community College

    Hanceville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Wallace State Community College, HancevilleRespiratory therapy (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$56,700
    Price if you pay yourself$12,160

    12 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Respiratory Therapy AAS at Wallace State Community College
    More details about Respiratory Therapy AAS at Wallace State Community College
    Finished
    86%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $14,186
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    $4,000
    Students counted
    92
    Earned a year, estimated
    $56,700
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,160
    students trained with WIOA funding
    12
    Program website, Respiratory Therapy AAS at Wallace State Community College

  • Respiratory therapy program (level not stated)In personEducation and courses

    Respiratory Therapist

    George C. Wallace Community College

    Dothan

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    George C. Wallace Community College, DothanRespiratory therapy program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$61,000
    Price if you pay yourself$12,000

    17 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Respiratory Therapist at George C. Wallace Community College
    More details about Respiratory Therapist at George C. Wallace Community College
    Finished
    80%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $15,238
    Length
    75 weeks, 27 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $5,126
    Students counted
    70
    Earned a year, estimated
    $61,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,000
    students trained with WIOA funding
    17
    Program website, Respiratory Therapist at George C. Wallace Community College

  • Respiratory therapy (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Respiratory Therapy-Degree

    Shelton State Community College

    Tuscaloosa

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Shelton State Community College, TuscaloosaRespiratory therapy (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$38,400
    Price if you pay yourself$12,600

    19 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Respiratory Therapy-Degree at Shelton State Community College
    More details about Respiratory Therapy-Degree at Shelton State Community College
    Finished
    74%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,598
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    $2,246
    Students counted
    67
    Earned a year, estimated
    $38,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,600
    students trained with WIOA funding
    19
    Program website, Respiratory Therapy-Degree at Shelton State Community College

  • Respiratory therapy program (level not stated)In personEducation and courses

    Respiratory Care Practioner

    Meridian Community College

    Meridian, MS

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Meridian Community College, Meridian, MSRespiratory therapy program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Classes are outside Alabama; Alabama approved the program for its funding.

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$11,662
    Program website, Respiratory Care Practioner at Meridian Community College
    More details about Respiratory Care Practioner at Meridian Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    $2,593
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $11,662
    Program website, Respiratory Care Practioner at Meridian Community College

How to pay for respiratory therapy programs in Alabama

WIOA funding can pay for respiratory therapy programs in Alabama

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for respiratory therapy programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for respiratory therapy programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Respiratory therapy programs in Alabama

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
9th of 16
respiratory therapy programs here, against the typical state's 4
5 vs 4

State comparisons use the same figures as the respiratory therapy programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Respiratory therapy programs in Birmingham, Cullman, Dothan and other Alabama cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Alabama

How respiratory therapy programs compare with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Alabama

Where the Alabama respiratory therapy program numbers come from

Which Alabama respiratory therapy programs are on this list?

These are the respiratory therapy programs Alabama approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Alabama offers.

How the prices and results of Alabama respiratory therapy programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Alabama figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Alabama among the states with "known data quality concerns".11 We leave out the share working 6 months later for Alabama: its rates sit far below every other state's.

Sources for the facts about respiratory therapy programs in Alabama

Show the 11 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Respiratory Therapists
  2. National Board for Respiratory Care: Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List
  11. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns