A career and licensing guide for respiratory therapy students details CoARC accreditation, NBRC credentialing, and state licensure requirements. Newman University's program, achieving 90%+ RRT success rates, exemplifies strong preparation in a field projected to grow 12% through 2034.
-- A career and licensing guide for respiratory therapy students has been released, detailing pathways prospective students must navigate to enter this growing healthcare field. The guide addresses CoARC accreditation as the foundation for respiratory therapy education, outlines the national credentialing process through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), and explains state licensure requirements that vary by jurisdiction. Newman University's respiratory care program, which has achieved Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) success rates at or above 90%, is featured as a model of strong preparation and institutional support.
More information is available at https://newmanu.edu/academics/respiratory-care-wichita
The regulatory landscape underscores why program selection matters. Graduates of CoARC-accredited programs are eligible to sit for NBRC national credentialing examinations—first the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential, then the RRT—and most state licenses require completion of these exams. Beginning January 1, 2027, the NBRC will introduce the Respiratory Therapy Examination as the sole pathway to the RRT credential, reinforcing the importance of choosing a program that meets accreditation standards from the outset. Individuals who passed the TMC at the high cut score before December 31, 2026, may still take the CSE until December 31, 2027.
Strong employment demand and competitive salaries make respiratory therapy an attractive career despite the rigorous credentialing pathway. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for respiratory therapists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2024 to 2034—much faster than the average for all occupations—with approximately 8,800 job openings anticipated annually. The median annual wage for respiratory therapists reached $80,450 as of May 2024, reflecting both the specialized skills required and the critical role these clinicians play in managing patients with cardiopulmonary diseases across hospitals, home health agencies, rehabilitation centers, and diagnostic laboratories.
The credentialing process itself presents a competitive challenge that underscores the value of quality preparation. Candidates must first pass the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) examination at the high cut score to advance toward RRT eligibility, then complete the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). In 2024, the national TMC high cut-score pass rate for new candidates was 69.9 percent, while the CSE pass rate stood at 64.0 percent, according to NBRC data. These figures illustrate that program quality and clinical training directly influence a graduate's likelihood of success.
Newman University's respiratory care program (CoARC Program #200117) demonstrates how strong institutional support translates into measurable outcomes. Historical data from the 2018 CoARC Annual Report covering the 2015-2017 graduate window showed Newman achieved 100 percent CRT success and 90 percent RRT success, compared to national averages of 93.7 percent and 80.2 percent respectively. The program's receipt of the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award—which requires documented RRT success of 90 percent or above, along with meeting or exceeding thresholds for TMC high cut-score performance and program retention—confirms that Newman graduates consistently achieve credentials at rates notably higher than the national RRT success average of approximately 80 percent.
The guide directs prospective students to resources for evaluating programs, including CoARC's Find an Accredited Program tool and the Programmatic Outcomes Data portal, which provide transparent access to each program's credentialing success rates, attrition, job placement, and graduate satisfaction. Factors such as clinical experience quality, instructor-to-student ratios, total clinical hours, and institutional support all contribute to a student's readiness for national examinations and professional practice. Choosing an accredited program with a proven track record of credentialing success lays the foundation for a career in a field where demand, earning potential, and diverse practice settings converge.
For more details, visit https://newmanu.edu/
Contact Info:
Name: Clark Schafer
Email: Send Email
Organization: Newman University
Address: 3100 McCormick , Wichita, Kansas 67213, United States
Website: https://newmanu.edu/
Source: PressCable
Release ID: 89188819
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