2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in Alabama
[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. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong respiratory care therapy/therapist education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 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 Alabama
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the respiratory care therapy/therapist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools
George C Wallace State Community College Dothan tops our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools in Alabama. George C Wallace State Community College Dothan is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Dothan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,980, with out-of-state students paying around $8,850. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $9,942 in student loans. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of George C Wallace State Community College Dothan earn a median of $42,801 early in their careers. Set against $9,942 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at H Councill Trenholm State Technical College earned it the #2 place for respiratory care therapy/therapist. H Councill Trenholm State Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Montgomery. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,190, with out-of-state students paying around $9,060. Graduates go on to earn a median of $32,183 ten years after entry.
Students looking for strong value in respiratory care therapy/therapist will find it at Jefferson State Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Birmingham, Jefferson State Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,100, compared with $8,970 for out-of-state students. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $17,875 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $51,826. That is a strong return on a $17,875 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in respiratory care therapy/therapist will find it at James H Faulkner State Community College, which ranked #4. James H Faulkner State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Bay Minette. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, compared with $8,910 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,326 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of James H Faulkner State Community College earn a median of $52,231 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Shelton State Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, Shelton State Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,127, compared with $8,997 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,688 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Shelton State Community College earn a median of $48,862 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,688 median debt.
George C Wallace State Community College Hanceville came in at #6 for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Set in the rural area of Hanceville, George C Wallace State Community College Hanceville is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,220, while out-of-state students pay about $9,090. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $13,500. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $48,422. That is a strong return on a $13,500 median debt.
Jacksonville State University earned the #7 position for value in respiratory care therapy/therapist this year. Located in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,894 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $23,334. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $55,867. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
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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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
