Congratulations to SUNY Erie Community College’s Respiratory Care program on earning the 2026 Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Credentialing Success Award, its sixth year receiving this distinguished recognition.
The award was presented during the AARC Summer Forum, held July 13–15, 2026 in Bonita Springs, Florida. This event brought together respiratory care leaders and educators for educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exhibit hall focused on the latest developments in respiratory care.
This prestigious recognition places SUNY Erie’s Respiratory Care program among an elite group of respiratory care programs nationwide. Of nearly 400 CoARC-accredited programs in the country, only 78 programs, the top 20%, met the rigorous criteria to receive this award.
SUNY Erie is the only associate degree Respiratory Care program in New York State to receive this award this year. Of the 12 Respiratory Care programs in New York State, 10 offer associate degrees and two offer bachelor’s degrees.
The CoARC Credentialing Success Award recognizes programs that demonstrate strong student outcomes and sustained program quality. To qualify, programs must have at least three years of outcome data, maintain full accreditation without progress reports, demonstrate strong student retention, and achieve an RRT credentialing success rate of at least 90%.
SUNY Erie’s Respiratory Care program exceeded these standards, demonstrating a 96% success rate on the Therapist Multiple-Choice examination, more than three years of outcome data, and performance that met or exceeded the required TMC cut scores. The program also achieved a 78% student retention rate, surpassing the national benchmark of 72%. With an average graduating class of 22 students and the capacity to accept approximately 30 students, SUNY Erie’s strong student outcomes reflect the program’s commitment to academic excellence and preparing students for successful careers as respiratory therapists.
These results reflect the dedication of SUNY Erie students, faculty, and clinical partners on behalf of the Respiratory Care program.
SUNY Erie’s Respiratory Care program prepares students to become respiratory therapists who, under medical direction, provide treatment, management, diagnostic evaluation, care and education for patients with cardiopulmonary deficiencies and abnormalities.
Through a combination of classroom instruction, laboratory practice and clinical experiences, students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become competent and responsible members of the health care team. The program's broad curriculum prepares graduates to practice in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals and other acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, physician offices, laboratories and home care.
The program's exceptional credentialing outcomes demonstrate that SUNY Erie graduates are well prepared to enter this vital and growing health care profession.
Earning the 2026 CoARC Credentialing Success Award is a significant accomplishment for SUNY Erie and a testament to the quality of its Respiratory Care program. SUNY Erie continues to demonstrate its commitment to student achievement, academic excellence and preparing highly qualified respiratory therapists for the community and the health care workforce.
Congratulations to the Respiratory Care students, faculty, clinical partners and alumni on this outstanding achievement!