2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in New Mexico
[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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for respiratory care therapy/therapist students.
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2026 Best Value Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist Schools in New Mexico
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
Our analysis ranked Central New Mexico Community College the best value for a degree in respiratory care therapy/therapist in New Mexico. Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. In-state tuition and fees average $2,060, compared with $8,684 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $10,833. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of $57,486 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in respiratory care therapy/therapist will find it at Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Roswell, Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,256, compared with $5,616 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates is $11,110. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus generally make around $21,129. Set against $11,110 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
San Juan College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in respiratory care therapy/therapist, landing the #3 spot this year. San Juan College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Farmington. In-state tuition and fees average $1,910, while out-of-state students pay about $5,393. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $16,150 in student loans. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from San Juan College generally make around $48,862. That is a strong return on a $16,150 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in respiratory care therapy/therapist will find it at New Mexico State University Dona Ana, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Dona Ana is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,322, compared with $6,360 for out-of-state students. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $9,995 in student loans. Early-career respiratory care therapy/therapist graduates make about $56,196. That is a strong return on a $9,995 median debt.
Santa Fe Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value respiratory care therapy/therapist schools. Located in the rural area of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,851, compared with $4,131 for out-of-state students. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $9,813 in student loans. Soon after graduation, respiratory care therapy/therapist degree recipients from Santa Fe Community College generally make around $53,695. Set against $9,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque placed #6 among the best values for respiratory care therapy/therapist. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque is a small private for-profit institution. Students borrow a median of $31,600 to complete the respiratory care therapy/therapist program here. Respiratory Care Therapy/therapist graduates of Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque earn a median of $53,558 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
