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Respiratory therapy programs in California

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

2 schools offer these respiratory therapy programs, and California 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 California, 1 of the 2 programs asks for a high school diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 2 programs here are respiratory therapy program (level not stated, 1 program) and respiratory therapy (associate degree, 1 program).

See the 2 programs

How much do respiratory therapy programs cost in California?

$2,760 to $55,062

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program
77% to 80%
Working 6 months later
25% to 68%
Earned a year, estimated
about $16,900
Length
68 to 79 weeks

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

Are there free respiratory therapy programs in California?

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

All 2 respiratory therapy programs in California approved for WIOA funding

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Kind of program
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2 programs

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

    Respiratory Therapy

    San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office

    Visalia

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office, VisaliaRespiratory therapy program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$55,062

    11 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Respiratory Therapy at San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office
    More details about Respiratory Therapy at San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office
    Finished
    80%
    Working at 6 months
    68%
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    79 weeks, 28 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    2,727
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $55,062
    students trained with WIOA funding
    11
    Program website, Respiratory Therapy at San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office

  • Respiratory therapy (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Respiratory Care (AS Degree)

    Butte College

    Oroville

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Butte College, OrovilleRespiratory therapy (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$16,900
    Price if you pay yourself$2,760

    25 students trained with WIOA funding

    School website, Respiratory Care (AS Degree) at Butte College
    More details about Respiratory Care (AS Degree) at Butte College
    Finished
    77%
    Working at 6 months
    25%
    Earned in a quarter
    $4,218
    Length
    68 weeks, 20 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,329
    Students counted
    160
    Earned a year, estimated
    $16,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,760
    students trained with WIOA funding
    25
    School website, Respiratory Care (AS Degree) at Butte College

How to pay for respiratory therapy programs in California

WIOA funding can pay for respiratory therapy programs in California

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.

Respiratory therapy programs in Visalia, Chico and other California cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in California

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

Where the California respiratory therapy program numbers come from

Which California respiratory therapy programs are on this list?

These are the respiratory therapy programs California 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 California offers.

How the prices and results of California 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.

Sources for the facts about respiratory therapy programs in California

Show the 10 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