How to become an ultrasound tech: steps, exams and schools by state

To become an ultrasound tech, pick a program in your state: 311 sonography programs reported graduates in 2023-24. The finder lists them, Texas first.

Career

The state rules apply where you take the images

Example: sonography in Texas· change any figure to see your own result

Texas: sonography programs with graduates in 2023-24

37

662 awards · public in-state tuition and fees, median: $4,080 a year

Programs37
Awards in 2023-24662
Median public in-state tuition and fees (2023-24)$4,080 a year

IPEDS files of NCES: completions July 2023 to June 2024 (C2024_A), tuition and required fees 2023-24 (IC2023_AY). Hospital programs that take no federal student aid do not report to IPEDS and are missing here. The 12 largest of 37 are shown.

How this is computed
Texas: sonography programs, largest first (IPEDS)
SchoolCityAwards 2023-24In-state tuition and fees 2023-24
Austin Community College DistrictAustin39$8,580
Pima Medical Institute-HoustonHouston36n/a
Baptist Health System School of Health ProfessionsSan Antonio34$12,944
Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands34$5,544
The College of Health Care Professions-AustinAustin34n/a
The College of Health Care Professions-San AntonioSan Antonio31n/a
Tyler Junior CollegeTyler30$4,056
Temple CollegeTemple25$4,800
The College of Health Care Professions-NorthwestHouston24n/a
St Philip's CollegeSan Antonio23$6,892
Concorde Career College-DallasDallas22n/a
Houston Community CollegeHouston22$4,344

Compiled by Radif Partners · How the rules were read

Becoming an ultrasound tech takes four steps: an accredited sonography program, the clinical scanning it includes, the ARDMS exams (SPI at $275 plus a specialty at $300, read on the Inteleos exam pages on November 13, 2026), and a state license in the 5 places that require one. Programs are spread unevenly: California (32 programs, 1,670 awards), Florida (24 programs, 902 awards), New York (16 programs, 697 awards) trained the most sonographers in 2023-24 according to the IPEDS completions file, while District of Columbia, Hawaii, Vermont reported none. Of the 7,049 sonography awards, 4,635 were associate degrees, 1,472 certificates and 921 bachelor’s degrees. Hospital-based programs that take no federal student aid do not report to IPEDS and are missing from these counts.

How to become an ultrasound tech in four steps

1. Choose a program. Associate degrees are the most common award, then certificates and bachelor’s degrees. The finder above lists each state’s programs with the number of graduates in 2023-24 and the in-state tuition and fees.

2. Scan under supervision. Clinical rotations are part of every accredited program; ask where they take place, since travel to clinical sites adds to the cost.

3. Pass the ARDMS exams. SPI plus one specialty, within 5 years of each other. The ARDMS cost calculator adds retakes.

4. Get licensed if your state requires it. See the sonographer license by state.

Tuition and exams for your route

Example: sonography, 2 years in Texas· change any figure to see your own result

Sonography in Texas: tuition and exam

$8,735

$4,080 a year × 2 + ARDMS SPI and one specialty $575

Median public in-state tuition and fees in Texas$4,080 a year (2023-24)
Years of study2
Exam fees$575
State licenseNo state license
Full calculator: Sonographer: the job and the route →

Ultrasound tech programs by state

The 15 states with the most sonography awards (IPEDS completions July 2023 to June 2024)
StateProgramsAwards 2023-24Public in-state tuition and fees (median)
California321,670$1,208
Florida24902$2,677
New York16697$8,083
Texas37662$4,080
Ohio15222$5,268
Pennsylvania13208$9,051
Michigan10198$7,510
New Jersey13173$8,613
Illinois14153$9,200
Tennessee5150$4,537
Georgia10143$3,202
Alabama7140$4,980
Kansas5117$7,606
North Carolina12110$2,554
Virginia8110$5,331

Every state page of this site lists its own programs. To compare with x-ray training, read how to become a radiology tech.

Questions students and technologists ask

Tap a question to see the answer.

Can I become an ultrasound tech without a degree?

Many programs award a certificate rather than a degree, often to students who already hold a degree or a health credential. In the IPEDS files for 2023-24, certificates made up about one in five sonography awards. ARDMS sets its own prerequisites for each exam route, so check that your program qualifies you before you enroll.

Which states have the most ultrasound tech schools?

By awards reported to IPEDS for 2023-24: California, Florida, New York, Texas, Ohio. The finder at the top of this page lists the programs of any state, with their awards and in-state tuition and fees, largest first. Hospital programs that take no federal student aid are not in these counts.

Do I need a license after the ARDMS exams?

Only in District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon. In every other state, the ARDMS credential is what employers check, and no state application is needed. A license from one of those five places does not transfer to another: each issues its own.

Next steps

Sonographer: the job and the route

What a sonographer does, the ARDMS route, the five places with a license, and what training costs by state.

ARDMS exam cost

SPI $275, each specialty $300: the total for your credential and retakes.

Sonographer license by state

Only 5 places license sonographers; the agency of each, and what the other states ask instead.

Radiology tech schools

482 radiography programs with graduates in 2023-24: find those of your state with tuition and fees.

State tables, agency pages, fee pages and federal files behind this page (5)

Each form number, fee, length and signer list was read on these official documents on November 13, 2026.

Compiled by

Independent publisher of state-by-state licensing rules and exam cost calculators for sonographers and radiologic technologists. Paid by no one: no school lead, no affiliate link, no paid placement.

Checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

The answers apply the ASRT state table and the agency pages read on November 13, 2026, and the IPEDS files for 2023-24. Rules change: your state agency decides.