Ultrasound Technician Schools in Pennsylvania (Become a Sonographer)

Accredited Ultrasound Technician Schools in Pennsylvania

• Community College of Allegheny County – Boyce Campus Monroeville, PA
• Crozer-Chester Medical Center Upland, PA
• Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie, PA
• Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
• Lackawanna College Scranton, PA
• Misericordia University Dallas, PA
• Mount Aloysius College Cresson, PA
• Northampton Community College Bethlehem, PA
• Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences Lancaster, PA
• Pittsburgh Career Institute Pittsburgh, PA
• South Hills School of Business and Technology State College, PA
• Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
• Westmoreland County Community College Youngwood, PA

Community College of Allegheny County – Boyce Campus offers an Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography and students have a choice of three tracts: General sonography (which includes abdominal and Ob/Gyn sonography); Cardiac ultrasound; and Vascular ultrasound.

They are all CAAHEP accredited and require between a minimum of 74 and 77 credits to complete.

• Prerequisites: Successful completion (C or better) of several 100 level math, science, and biology courses are required before admittance.
• Students interested in applying should complete the USA assessment test prior to completing the required pre-coursework.
• Tuition cost: Allegheny County residents pay $116.00 per credit, not including fees.
• Program Website: Community College of Allegheny County – Boyce Campus

Crozer-Chester Medical Center offers a bachelor’s degree or post-baccalaureate certificate from Widener or their home-institution.

General education courses will be completed at Widener University, while coursework pertaining to DMS will be completed at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

Full-time attendance, as well as a grade of B, is required in all classes in order to remain in the program.

Re-admittance is not allowed.

Great Lakes Institute of Technology offers a program for those with no background experience in sonography.

• Program website: https://www.glit.edu/training-programs/diagnostic-medical-sonographer

Harrisburg Area Community College – you will have the opportunity to earn an Associate of Science degree in General sonography.

Successful completion of the program gives students the opportunity to sit for the SP&I, Abdomen, and Ob/Gyn sonography exams from the ARDMS and earn the RDMS credential.

• Program length: 69 credits with full-time attendance, including classroom and clinical instruction.
  Estimated program cost: Between $21,545 and $24,771.
• Program website: https://www.hacc.edu/ProgramsandCourses/Programs/HealthCareers/Diagnostic-Medical-Sonographer.cfm

Lackawanna College has CAAHEP accredited programs in General, Vascular, and Cardiac sonography and graduates can earn an Associate of Science degree.

Classes are required Monday through Friday, with mandatory Saturdays and Summer courses and clinicals.

• Admissions: A maximum of 20 students are accepted into the general program, and 25 for vascular and cardiac.
• Tuition: $535 per credit.
• Program website: https://www.lackawanna.edu/academics/allied-health-programs/sonography/

Misericordia offers an 18-month DMS certificate designed for adult and non-traditional learners.

Courses are offered every other weekend with weekday clinical rotations and upon successful completion, graduates will receive a certificate of completion which allows them to sit for the ARDMS SP&I, abdominal, and ObGyn sonography exams.

• Clinical education: Clinical sites may be located up to 90 miles away, with transportation the responsibility of the student.
• Application: Create an account and begin the online application process.
• Program website: https://www.misericordia.edu/page.cfm?p=1811

Mount Aloysius College offers an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree in DMS, and which one you will choose depends on your career coals.

The CAAHEP accredited Associate’s will prepare the ultrasound technician to sit for the ARDMS exams, while the Bachelor’s program will build on the learned outcomes of the Associate’s, with the addition of the business and management side of medical imaging.

Program website: https://www.mtaloy.edu/academics/majors-programs/medical-imaging-ultrasonography/

Northampton Community College has an Associate in Applied Science in DMS degree designed for individuals looking to qualify for entry-level ultrasound technician positions, so a degree in allied health is not needed for acceptance into the program.

• Application: The deadline for applying to the sonography program is February 1st of each year.
• Program length: The Associate’s degree program is 24-months long and begins in the Fall each year.
• Clinicals: There are approximately 1560 clinical hours required which can be completed throughout the Lehigh Valley, Poconos, Bucks County, and New Jersey.
• Program website: http://northampton.smartcatalogiq.com/2019-2020/College-Catalog/Academic-Programs/Health-Sciences-and-Social-Services/Diagnostic-Medical-Sonography-Associate-in-Applied-Science

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences offers a DMS Associate of Science degree, which is a two-year, 66 credit program.

The college also has a certificate program that is available to students who currently hold an associate’s degree or higher.

• Prerequisites: Applicants must have completed several courses in English, math, and science with a grade of C or better.
• Tuition: Undergraduate tuition is $610 per credit hour. The program fee for the general sonography program is $5,200.
• Program website: https://www.pacollege.edu/academics/associate-degrees/diagnostic-medical-sonography-associate-degree/

Pittsburgh Career Institute offers its students a chance to learn to perform ultrasounds on the abdomen, pelvis, pregnant female pelvis, and superficial structures and be equipped for entry-level sonography jobs.

The program has been accredited by the CAAHEP for General sonography.

• Program length: This is a two-year, full-time program. Classes and clinicals are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday.
• Program website: https://pci.edu/diagnostic-medical-sonography

South Hills School of Business and Technology was first accredited by the CAAHEP in 2009 and it has to offer three different accredited sonography programs: a 3-year Associate in Specialized Technology Degree Program; a 2-year Diagnostic Medical Sonography Professional Plus (DPP); and a 15-month Diagnostic Medical Sonography Professional (DMP).

Program website: http://www.southhills.edu/programs/diagnostic-medical-sonography/

Thomas Jefferson University received its CAAHEP accreditation in 1986 for its General sonography program and it now offers bachelor’s degrees in general, vascular, and cardiac sonography.

Westmoreland County Community College boasts an Associate in Science degree.

• Application process: Applications must be submitted by January 12 for a Fall start.
• Program length: Two years of full-time attendance
• Program website: https://westmoreland.edu/academics/programs/diagnostic-medical-sonography.html

Ultrasound Tech Certification Requirements in Pennsylvania

Besides the fact that Pennsylvania does not require licensure to be an ultrasound technician, once you try finding a good job, you will notice that almost all employers require professional certification by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Earning this certification is possible by taking and passing their exam but only if you qualify to sit for it.

Qualifications are achieved by graduating from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

There are many locations throughout Pennsylvania where you can take the exam, and you can find them on the ARDMS website at ardms.org, or by calling the test administrator group Pearson Vue at 1-877-258-9220.

Ultrasound Techs Salary And Job Outlook In Pennsylvania

The median salary for sonographers is $92490, but if you are just starting out as a new graduate, you can expect to earn $81906 per year.

Annual Salary Range:

Regional Salary in Pennsylvania