Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

What Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care does

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is a private, non-profit programmatic accreditor headquartered at 264 Precision Blvd, Telford, Tennessee. It is the sole nationally recognized authority in the United States for accrediting first professional degree programs in respiratory care, holding recognition from both the U.S. Department of Education (granting Title IV federal financial aid eligibility) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the latter re-awarded for seven years in February 2022. CoARC accredits Entry into Professional Practice programs at the Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master's degree levels, as well as post-professional Degree Advancement programs, Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT) graduate-level programs, and sleep disorders specialty certificate programs. Its primary constituents are respiratory care education programs at U.S. colleges and universities, supplemented by prospective students, program directors, and key personnel at accredited institutions.

The organization operates a voluntary peer-review accreditation process comprising an institution-submitted Letter of Intent, comprehensive self-study, on-site evaluation by trained site visitors, and final review by an elected Board of Commissioners that includes public and institutional members. Its technology footprint centers on a web-based accreditation management system anchored by the Report of Current Status (RCS) annual reporting portal at rcs.coarc.com, a program accreditation database tracking status, key personnel changes, and program identifiers, and online application and self-study submission systems. Annual outcomes data (graduation rates, credentialing exam pass rates including TMC high cut score achievement, and employment placement) are publicly published to support transparency.

CoARC generates revenue primarily through recurring annual accreditation fees invoiced via QuickBooks Online (credit card, ACH, or check) plus one-time initial accreditation application and site visit fees, with multi-year fee schedules approved by the Board of Commissioners (a 2024-2026 schedule was announced in December 2022). Distribution is via direct institutional engagement supported by a small executive office (CEO, COO, Director of Accreditation Services, Director of Operations and Technology, and accreditation specialists), the biennial Key Personnel Academy training program, and an active outreach presence at AARC and CHEST professional events. CoARC is structurally embedded in the respiratory care profession through formal endorsement arrangements with the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP).

Name

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

Legal name

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

Website

https://coarc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is a private U.S. non-profit that serves as the sole nationally recognized programmatic accreditor for respiratory care education programs, holding U.S. Department of Education and CHEA recognition. It accredits entry-level, degree advancement, advanced practice, and sleep disorders programs through peer review, site visits, and recurring annual fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Accreditation

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Programmatic accreditation services
• Respiratory care education
• Higher education accreditation
• Accreditation standards compliance
• Programmatic outcomes reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Telford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Fees: Fees for accreditation services including initial accreditation applications, site visits, annual fees, and special program reviews. Fee schedule effective January 1, 2021 and 2024-2026 schedules referenced.
2. Annual Program Fees: Annual fees due by specified deadlines (e.g., January 31) for all accredited programs. Invoice-based billing through QuickBooks Online with options for credit card, ACH, or check payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CoARC accredits respiratory care education programs in the United States and its territories through a voluntary peer-review process that includes self-study submission, site visit evaluations by trained site visitors, and review by the elected Board of Commissioners. Programs pay annual fees and submit student outcome data (graduation rates, credentialing exam pass rates, employment outcomes) via the Report of Current Status (RCS) system to maintain accreditation status. Accreditation enables student eligibility for NBRC credentialing examinations and access to federal financial aid.

Product overview

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is an accreditation body, not a traditional software product company. It provides accreditation services for respiratory care education programs through a portfolio of assessment tools, reporting systems, and standards publications. The core offerings include the Report of Current Status (RCS) annual reporting database, the Annual Reporting Tool for program data submission, the Key Personnel Academy training program, Resource Assessment surveys, and searchable directories for finding accredited programs. CoARC publishes accreditation standards documents for Entry into Professional Practice, Degree Advancement, and Advanced Practice (APRT) programs, along with Triannual Updates and Programmatic Outcomes Data for public transparency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CoARC Program Accreditation Services Voluntary peer-review accreditation for respiratory care education programs in the United States and territories, covering Entry into Practice (Associate, Baccalaureate, Master's), Degree Advancement, Advanced Practice (APRT), and Sleep Disorders specialist programs; includes self-study review, site visit evaluation, Board of Commissioner review, and annual RCS outcome reporting.
• Report of Current Status (RCS) System Web-based annual reporting database where accredited respiratory care programs submit student outcome data including graduation rates, credentialing exam pass rates, and employment outcomes for ongoing accreditation compliance monitoring.
• Annual Reporting Tool Web-based portal for accredited respiratory care education programs to submit annual reports required for maintaining CoARC accreditation status.
• Key Personnel Academy Twice-yearly training course for program directors and key personnel in respiratory care education programs covering accreditation standards, policies, and best practices for maintaining program compliance.
• Find an Accredited Program Search Online searchable directory enabling prospective respiratory therapy students to locate CoARC-accredited programs by state or name.
• Accreditation Standards Documents Published standards documents covering Entry into Professional Practice (Associate, Baccalaureate, Master's), Degree Advancement (Baccalaureate, Master's), and Advanced Practice (APRT) respiratory care program types.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates of accredited programs are eligible for NBRC credentialing examinations (CRT and RRT)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Jones and Bartlett LearningminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2020Jones and Bartlett Learning released free education materials on Mechanical Ventilation related to the SARS-2CoV epidemic. As a corporate sponsor, they provide educational resources to support respiratory care programs.
• Kettering National SeminarsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2017Kettering National Seminars announced a sponsorship agreement with CoARC for respiratory care education support.
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2012CHEA is a private, non-profit, national organization comprised of over 3,000 degree-granting higher education institutions and over 60 regional, institutional, and professional accrediting organizations. CHEA recognized CoARC as meeting standards for advancing academic quality, demonstrating accountability, and employing fair procedures. CoARC was granted CHEA recognition for up to 10 years in 2012 and re-recognized for 7 years in 2022.
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRC is the credentialing body for respiratory care professionals. CoARC accreditation is required for eligibility to take NBRC credentialing examinations. CoARC and NBRC have mutually agreed upon definitions for graduation dates and work together on TMC examination outcomes as program metrics.
• American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAARC is a professional organization for respiratory therapists. AARC is a collaborating organization that endorses CoARC accreditation standards. Joint activities include Student Survivor Hour, AARC Congress awards presentations, and Lambda Beta Society scholarships.
• American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHEST has endorsed CoARC accreditation standards including the Standards for Accreditation of Degree Advancement Programs in Respiratory Care effective January 1, 2018.
• American Thoracic Society (ATS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATS has endorsed CoARC accreditation standards including the Standards for Accreditation of Degree Advancement Programs in Respiratory Care effective January 1, 2018.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA has endorsed CoARC accreditation standards including the Standards for Accreditation of Degree Advancement Programs in Respiratory Care effective January 1, 2018.
• Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCCM is a partner organization with CoARC. The SCCM Respiratory Care Section Journal Club hosts educational events featuring CoARC commissioners.
• Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAHP has endorsed CoARC accreditation standards. ASAHP and CoARC collaborate on research grants including the Interprofessional Collaboration Research Grant Program.
• Lambda Beta SocietymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLambda Beta Society is the national honor society for respiratory care. CoARC has established scholarships through Lambda Beta Society supporting up to $2,000 for educational or accreditation research by students and faculty of CoARC-accredited programs. The Stephen P. Mikles Media Award ($2,000) is sponsored by CoARC.
• U.S. Department of Education (USDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDE recognition allows CoARC-accredited programs' students to access federal financial aid. CoARC accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority on educational quality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): CHEA is the umbrella recognition body that reviews and recognizes accrediting organizations including CoARC. As an ecosystem participant and CoARC's recognition grantor, CHEA provides the framework within which CoARC operates but does not directly compete.

Direct peers

• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE): CAPTE accredits physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs as a CHEA-recognized programmatic accreditor. Directly comparable structure to CoARC including annual fees, outcomes reporting, and sole-authority status for the profession.
• National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS): NAACLS accredits clinical laboratory science programs as a programmatic accreditor recognized by CHEA. Operates with similar revenue model, annual reporting requirements, and peer-review site visit processes as CoARC in adjacent healthcare education.
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE): ACPE is the national accrediting body for pharmacy education programs, comparable to CoARC as a CHEA and USDE-recognized programmatic accreditor with annual fee revenue, outcomes reporting, and similar peer-review governance structures.
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): CCNE is an autonomous accrediting body for nursing programs, comparable to CoARC as a programmatic accreditor with similar revenue model, site visit processes, and outcomes-based standards. Operates in an adjacent healthcare profession.
• Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT): JRCERT is the sole national accreditor for radiologic technology programs, structurally analogous to CoARC's sole-authority role for respiratory care. Both are programmatic accreditors recognized by CHEA and USDE with annual fee-based models serving allied health education programs.
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN): ACEN accredits nursing education programs across all levels, functioning as a CHEA-recognized programmatic accreditor with similar fee structures, annual reporting requirements, and outcomes-based thresholds as CoARC.
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP): CAAHEP is a programmatic accreditor for allied health education programs including respiratory care (CoARC actually spun off from CAAHEP). Directly comparable as a CHEA-recognized programmatic accreditor operating in the same healthcare education accreditation space with similar fee-based revenue models.
• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA): COA accredits nurse anesthesia programs with a similar programmatic accreditation model, fee structure, and outcomes-based approach as CoARC. Both serve specialized healthcare education programs with CHEA recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME): LCME is the accrediting body for MD-granting medical schools in the US and Canada, operating as a larger and more established programmatic accreditor with similar CHEA recognition, peer-review process, and outcomes-based standards as CoARC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coarcaccredited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commission-on-accreditation-for-respiratory-care-coarc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care