Radiation Therapy major
Radiation Therapy: courses, careers, and where to study
Radiation Therapy trains you to deliver prescribed radiation treatments to cancer patients, operate the treatment machines, and support people through a course of care.
Radiation Therapy is a hands-on health-science field focused on delivering the precise courses of radiation that oncologists prescribe to treat cancer and certain other conditions. Students learn to operate linear accelerators and related treatment equipment, position and immobilize patients so the beam targets the tumor while sparing healthy tissue, and verify each setup against the treatment plan from one session to the next. The coursework blends applied anatomy and physiology with oncologic pathology, radiation biology, and radiation physics, alongside radiation oncology procedures and techniques, treatment planning, tumor localization, radiation dosimetry, and the patient communication and record-keeping that hold a multi-week treatment together. Where a radiologic technologist captures diagnostic images to help find disease, this field focuses on the therapeutic side, delivering measured doses of radiation to treat a diagnosed cancer over a planned series of sessions.
Radiation therapy programs are commonly offered at the associate or bachelor's level, and they pair classroom and laboratory science with extensive supervised clinical rotations in real radiation oncology departments, where students practice setup, treatment delivery, and patient management on actual cases under supervision. Completing a program may require finishing a set number of clinical competencies and passing a national certification examination, and many states require a license or permit to operate radiation-producing equipment, so prospective students should confirm program accreditation and their state's rules. Graduates typically work in hospital radiation oncology departments, cancer centers, and outpatient treatment clinics, with some moving over time into roles such as dosimetry, treatment planning, or clinical education. A program is preparation, not a guaranteed job, and pay and demand vary by employer, region, and experience.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of radiation therapists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $101,990 and projects employment to grow about 1.9% from 2024 to 2034; an associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Radiation Therapy maps to CIP 51.0907, Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to administer prescribed courses of radiation treatment, manage patients undergoing radiation therapy, and maintain pertinent records. Includes instruction in applied anatomy and physiology, oncologic pathology, radiation biology, radiation oncology procedures and techniques, radiation dosimetry, tumor localization, treatment planning, patient communication and management, data collection, record-keeping, and applicable standards and regulations.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Radiation Therapy is awarded as
Of the 3,840 Radiation Therapy credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate8%305
- Associate61%2,358
- Bachelor's28%1,073
- Graduate3%104
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Operation of linear accelerators and radiation treatment equipment
- Patient positioning, immobilization, and daily treatment setup verification
- Radiation oncology procedures, techniques, and treatment delivery
- Oncologic pathology and the staging and behavior of tumors
- Radiation biology and the effects of radiation on healthy and tumor tissue
- Radiation dosimetry, treatment planning, and tumor localization
- Radiation safety, protection, and quality assurance in the treatment suite
- Patient assessment, side-effect management, and communication during a course of care
- Supervised clinical rotations in a radiation oncology department
Typical careers
- Radiation Therapist
- Medical Dosimetrist
- Radiation Oncology Clinical Specialist
- Treatment Planning Technologist
- Radiologic Technologist
- Radiation Therapy Clinical Educator
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 radiation therapists median $101,990).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Radiation Therapy, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | $48,790 | 13,600 | +5.2% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $77,660 | 12,900 | +4.3% | Associate's degree |
| Radiation Therapists | $101,990 | 900 | +1.9% | Associate's degree |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $138,110 | 200 | +3.5% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 5 of these 5 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Radiation Therapy does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Radiation Therapy major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Radiation Therapy program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Radiation Therapy department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Radiation Therapy program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Radiation Therapy credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleIL · 133
- Clarkson CollegeNE · 124
- Connecticut State Community CollegeCT · 102
- Georgia Southern UniversityGA · 86
- CUNY New York City College of TechnologyNY · 78
- Morehead State UniversityKY · 50
- University of Wisconsin-La CrosseWI · 50
- Lone Star College SystemTX · 48
- Greenville Technical CollegeSC · 46
- Kent State University at SalemOH · 45
- Chattanooga State Community CollegeTN · 43
- Ohio State University-Main CampusOH · 43
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Radiation Therapy credentials were awarded
15 states have a distinct enough set of Radiation Therapy colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Radiation Therapy schools by state
- Radiation Therapy in California
- Radiation Therapy in Florida
- Radiation Therapy in Georgia
- Radiation Therapy in Illinois
- Radiation Therapy in Maryland
- Radiation Therapy in Massachusetts
- Radiation Therapy in New York
- Radiation Therapy in North Carolina
- Radiation Therapy in Pennsylvania
- Radiation Therapy in Texas
Related majors
Radiologic Technology
Radiologic Technology trains you to operate X-ray and imaging equipment and position patients to capture the diagnostic pictures physicians use to find disease and injury.
Nuclear Medicine Technology
Nuclear Medicine Technology trains you to administer small amounts of radioactive material and image how it moves through the body, for people drawn to hands-on imaging and patient care.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Diagnostic Medical Sonography trains you to operate ultrasound equipment and capture images of organs, vessels, and tissue that physicians use to diagnose and monitor conditions.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to capture detailed pictures of soft tissue without radiation, training students to safely run scanners for diagnostic care.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Radiation Therapy degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Healthcare careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Radiation Therapy degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Radiation Therapy path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.