MRI Technologist Training

MRI Tech Programs in Texas

11 in-person or regional programs plus Tesla MR's hybrid option, compared side by side below. 3 local programs and Tesla MR admit you without a prior X-ray credential.

Comparing programs nationally? See MRI tech school formats, costs, and certification paths. Checking accreditation? See every accredited MRI tech certification program.

View Program Details Compare every program near you
MRI technologist student training at a clinical site
$97K Avg. Salary
0 Affiliated Sites
12-18 mo Program Length
Starting at $11,500 Tuition
Already in imaging?

Already working in an imaging department in Texas?

X-ray, CT, and nuclear medicine techs, MRI aides, transporters, schedulers, and nurses who work around a scanner do not need a second degree or an X-ray license to move into MRI. The coursework is online, so you keep your job, and clinical hours can happen at a facility you already know.

Train where you work.

If your department has an MRI scanner and will host you, our site team asks them first. Your employer signs a site agreement and names an ARRT or ARMRIT mentor.

How clinicals at your current facility work

Keep your paycheck.

The online phases fit around a hospital schedule. Clinicals are the squeeze, and we show the schedules other hospital employees have used.

MRI school while working full time

Ask your employer to pay.

Some employers cover part of tuition, and we can invoice them directly. Here is what to ask HR before you pay a deposit.

Employer tuition reimbursement
Tell us where you work

Already ARRT registered? Compare ARRT (MR) and ARMRIT before you choose a route.

Your options

MRI programs available to Texas residents

11 in-person or regional programs plus Tesla MR's hybrid option. 3 of them train you in MRI directly without a prior X-ray credential. Facts come from each school's published pages. Confirm with the school before you apply.

Published cost is what each school states on its own site. Some schools publish tuition only; others include fees, books, or uniforms; public colleges often distinguish in-district from out-of-district rates. Each row says which. For the national list with accreditor and entry requirement for every program, see accredited MRI tech certification programs.

Program Path Credential Length Prior X-ray? Format Published cost
Tesla MR Online coursework, clinicals near you
MRI direct
Certificate (ARMRIT exam eligibility)ARMRIT
12 to 18 months
No
Hybrid: online lectures, in-person clinicals
$11,500 to $13,400 by payment plan
San Jacinto College, Central Campus (AAS in MRI) Pasadena, TX Selective admission; program is seeking JRCERT accreditation
MRI direct
AAS in Magnetic Resonance ImagingARRT (MR)
About 4 semesters after 17 credits of prerequisites
No
In-person; 20 to 39 hours a week between 7 AM and 7 PM
About $7,390 in-district or $11,050 out-of-district, all-in
Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus (AAS in MRI) Farmers Branch, TX New program; first class fall 2026; fall admission only with HESI and prerequisite courses
MRI direct
AAS in Magnetic Resonance ImagingARRT (MR)
2 years, 5 semesters
No
In-person classes Monday and Wednesday plus 24 clinical hours a week
Per-semester estimates only; no program total published
Galveston College (AAS in MRI) Galveston, TX Prerequisite science courses within 5 years; details still thin
MRI direct
AAS in MRI (launched fall 2025)ARRT (MR)
Not stated
No
Classroom, lab, and clinical rotations at affiliated sites
Not published
Lone Star College, CyFair (MRI Advanced Technical Certificate) Cypress, TX Requires a current ARRT, NMTCB, or state radiation therapy license
MRI after X-ray
MRI Advanced Technical Certificate (19 credits)ARRT (MR) post-primary
3 semesters
Yes
Hybrid: one Saturday class a month plus two clinical days a week
$2,109 in-district or $4,218 out-of-district plus about $595
Dallas College (MRI Advanced Technical Certificate) Farmers Branch, TX Requires a current registry in radiography, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, or sonography
MRI after X-ray
Advanced Technical Certificate in MRI (21 credits)ARRT (MR) post-primary
3 semesters, about 1 year
Yes
24 clinical hours a week; class format not stated
$2,079 in-county
Tarrant County College, Trinity River Campus (MRI Advanced Technical Certificate) Fort Worth, TX Requires current ARRT registration; fall admission only
MRI after X-ray
Advanced Technical Certificate, MRI TechnologyARRT (MR) post-primary
3 semesters
Yes
Hybrid: online plus on-campus Tuesday and Thursday evenings
$2,072 tuition and fees for 2026-27, excluding books
Austin Community College (MRI Advanced Certificate) Austin, TX Fall start only, 8 to 10 students a year; requires a current ARRT, ARDMS or NMTCB registry in radiography, sonography, nuclear medicine or radiation therapy
MRI after X-ray
Advanced certificate in Magnetic Resonance ImagingARRT (MR) post-primary
Two semesters
Yes
Coursework in person and online; clinical Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Not published on the program page
Midwestern State University (MRI Certificate) Wichita Falls, TX Requires current ARRT (R, T or N), NMTCB or ARDMS registration and a 2.5 GPA
MRI after X-ray
Post-baccalaureate certificate in MRI (12 to 15 credit hours)ARRT (MR) post-primary
Two to three semesters
Yes
Fully online courses; clinical experience arranged by the student, often at their own workplace
Not published on the program page
UT MD Anderson School of Health Professions (BS, MRI emphasis) Houston, TX JRCERT accredited; the 3-year track takes students with no credential
MRI after X-ray
BS in Diagnostic Imaging, MRI emphasisARRT (MR)
1 year with a prior registry, or a 3-year radiography-first track
Yes
On-campus hybrid or distance with synchronous sessions; full-time
Texas residents about $7,500 to $15,400 (school-wide estimate)
Houston Community College, Coleman College (Radiography AAS) Houston, TX JRCERT accredited; no MRI program
X-ray first
AAS in Radiography (X-ray)ARRT (R)
2 years, full-time
No
In-person; clinicals up to 50 miles across Greater Houston
Not published
Dallas College (Radiologic Technology AAS) Farmers Branch, TX JRCERT accredited
X-ray first
AAS in Radiologic Technology (X-ray)ARRT (R)
2 years, full-time
No
In-person with clinical rotations
$5,940 in-county

Verified against each program's own website between Sep 2, 2026 and Oct 31, 2026. Tuition, length, and admission rules change; the school's page is the authority. Tesla MR is not a degree-granting institution and does not participate in federal financial aid. See accreditation. The schools named here are not affiliated with Tesla MR and do not endorse it; their names belong to their owners. Spot an error? Email info@teslamr.com and we will review it within 10 business days.

The path

How to become an MRI tech in Texas

Five steps, the same in Texas as anywhere else. Where you do step four is what changes by city.

  1. Confirm you are eligible

    A high school diploma or GED is the floor. You do not need a prior X-ray, radiography, or healthcare credential for the ARMRIT route. Some of the in-person programs in the table above do require one.

  2. Pick the credential you are aiming for

    Employers in Texas hire both ARRT (MR) and ARMRIT technologists. ARRT usually means a two-year degree or a prior radiography license. ARMRIT is the certificate route for career changers.

  3. Choose a program format that fits your life

    Full-time campus programs are faster if you can stop working. Hybrid programs put the coursework online and the clinical hours at a facility near you, which is how most working adults finish.

  4. Complete supervised clinical hours

    Every path ends at a scanner. Clinical training is the part that depends on local capacity, so ask any program how placement works before you enroll. Ours is explained below.

  5. Pass the registry exam and get hired

    Texas does not require a license to practice MRI. Employers require ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. Once certified, you can apply to the hospital systems and imaging groups listed further down this page.

Where you would train and work

MRI employers in Texas, and which ones are in our clinical network

We are still building our network in Texas. An affiliated site is a facility in our clinical network where students can be placed. The others are places MRI techs work in Texas that we have not affiliated with yet.

Affiliated site Employer, not yet affiliated

We have not mapped Texas employers yet. Tell us where you live and our site team will do it for your application.

Pulled from Tesla MR's site database on October 31, 2026. Affiliations are added and change over time; the assessment you receive during admissions is the one that applies to you.

Clinical placement

How clinical placement works

Our Clinical Sites team leads placement. You are not expected to find or negotiate your own clinical site. We look for a facility within a reasonable commute of your home and widen the search only if we need to.

Timing depends on facilities having capacity when you reach clinicals. If your area is thin, we tell you during admissions, not after you enroll, and we talk through the options with you.

Growing here · Texas

We are still building our network in Texas. If you apply, the site team maps your area first and tells you what to expect before you commit.

  1. We look at your area during admissions

    If you already have a facility in mind, maybe where you work, we reach out and see whether you can train there. If not, our site team maps the hospitals and imaging centers near your home and starts the conversation.

  2. You get a straight answer before you enroll

    Clinicals are still months away at this point, so a site's answer is usually "we expect so, check back closer to the date." We tell you what we heard and what it means for your timeline.

  3. You start the coursework while the site work continues

    Most students begin Phase I and Phase II before a specific facility is named. That is normal, and the site team keeps working your area in the background.

  4. Your site is confirmed as clinicals approach

    Once clinicals are weeks away rather than months, facilities can commit to dates. We work to have your placement set before Phase III begins. Which facility and which shift depends on who has capacity at that time.

MRI licensing in Texas

Texas licenses radiographers through the Texas Medical Board’s Medical Radiologic Technologist program, but that program is built around ionizing radiation. TMB FAQ 58 says a radiologic technologist license is not required to practice MR in Texas at this time. Employers set the credential requirement: most Texas postings ask for ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT, and both are valid in all 50 states.

Some employers, mostly hospital systems, still ask for an optional MRT certificate. The qualifiers for that certificate under TAC 186.12 are current ARRT registration as a radiographer, radiation therapist or nuclear medicine technologist, or current NMTCB registration. Neither MRI-only card is on that list, so an MRI-only technologist cannot get the certificate on their own; it is an X-ray credential. If a posting requires it, that posting is effectively asking for a prior radiography registry. Most outpatient imaging centers and many hospitals do not.

If you do apply for the certificate: complete the TMB application, get fingerprinted through IdentoGo by IDEMIA (results reach TMB from Texas DPS and the FBI), and pay the application fee listed on the live GMRT page ($130 plus surcharges as of this update). Registration renews every two years.

💡

Key Takeaway

No Texas license is required to practice MRI. Employers hire on ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. The optional TMB certificate some hospitals ask for is an X-ray credential, so career changers use the ARMRIT route and apply where the posting says ARRT or ARMRIT.

MRI technologist salary in Texas

BLS reports a May 2025 median of $96,780 for MRI technologists in Texas, with about 2,930 employed statewide (BLS OEWS, state estimates). The national median is $95,480. For comparison, Texas radiologic technologists, which includes X-ray and CT, have a median of $78,630.

Metro areaMRI technologist median (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands$102,570
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington$102,490
Killeen-Temple$96,860
San Antonio-New Braunfels$94,350
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos$93,490
Tyler$86,840
Corpus Christi$80,390
El Paso$78,410

Entry-level pay sits below the median. Shift differentials, specialty work such as cardiac or breast MRI, and 3 to 5 years of experience push experienced technologists above it. Texas has no state income tax, which makes a Texas salary worth more in take-home pay than the same number in most other states. See the MRI technologist salary guide and salary by state for the full breakdown.

Where MRI techs work in Texas

Job postings often say MRI technician; the credentialed title is MRI technologist, and the employers below hire on that credential.

Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest healthcare market in Texas and pays the most for MRI. Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health Resources, UT Southwestern, HCA Medical City Healthcare and Methodist Health System run the hospital side. Envision Imaging, North Star Diagnostic Imaging, Lumexa Imaging and Midtown Medical Imaging run large outpatient networks across Dallas, Fort Worth and the suburbs.

Houston has the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world. MD Anderson, Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist and HCA Houston Healthcare all employ MRI technologists, and RadNet, Capitol Imaging Services and Origin MRI run outpatient centers across the metro. Parking and commute costs inside the medical center are real factors to budget for.

San Antonio is anchored by University Health, Methodist Healthcare (HCA), Baptist Health System (Tenet) and the San Antonio Military Medical Center. The military presence adds MRI positions the other metros do not have, and the cost of living is meaningfully lower than Dallas or Austin.

Austin is growing fast but has fewer imaging facilities per capita than DFW or Houston. Ascension Seton, St. David’s HealthCare (HCA) and Baylor Scott & White are the major employers. Housing costs are the highest in the state, so weigh the Austin median against that.

Beyond the big four, Texas has steady MRI demand in Lubbock, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Waco, Tyler, Midland-Odessa, Killeen-Temple, San Angelo and the Rio Grande Valley. Shannon Clinic in San Angelo and AdventHealth in Killeen are examples of regional systems that train and hire MRI technologists outside the metros.

Clinical placements in Texas so far

Site counts on a web page are not the number that matters; what matters is what the site team finds when it looks at your specific location. Still, Texas is one of Tesla MR’s largest markets, and the track record is public: as of September 2026, 21 students have completed their clinical training at 13 Texas facilities, and 34 more are training at 27 Texas sites right now. UT Southwestern in Dallas has hosted 13 of those students, more than any other Texas facility. Other completed and current placements include Envision Imaging in Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco, Plano and Southlake, Baylor Scott & White in Plano, Waxahachie, Temple and Marble Falls, Memorial Hermann in Sugar Land and Humble, Methodist Health System in Richardson, Lumexa Imaging in Dallas, Denton and Red Oak, Midtown Medical Imaging in Fort Worth, AdventHealth in Killeen, Shannon Clinic in San Angelo, and imaging centers in Katy, Houston and Midland.

The employer section above shows which Texas systems are affiliated today. Affiliations are added as students need them, and the assessment you receive during admissions is the one that applies to you.

💡

Tip

Most Texas students train at a facility within 30 to 45 minutes of home. If you already work at an imaging center or hospital, tell admissions: more than half of recently enrolled students train at their own workplace.

Comparing MRI tech program options in Texas

FactorCommunity college (associate degree)University post-primaryCertificate program (Tesla MR)
Timeline2 to 3 years with prerequisites2 to 3 semesters12 to 18 months
CredentialARRT (MR), or ARRT (R) then MRARRT (MR) post-primaryARMRIT
PrerequisitesAnatomy, A&P, math, English, selective admissionExisting ARRT, NMTCB or ARDMS registryHigh school diploma or GED
Online optionMostly in personVaries; Midwestern State is fully online for courseworkLectures online, clinicals in person
Clinical sitesThrough college partnershipsThrough the program or arranged by the studentPlaced by Tesla MR’s Clinical Sites team
X-ray required firstNo for the three MRI degrees; yes for radiography degreesYesNo
Financial aidFAFSA eligibleVariesPayment plans; not Title IV

When a community college makes sense

If you want an associate degree, plan to stack imaging credentials (X-ray plus MRI plus CT), or need FAFSA aid, the community college path is worth the longer timeline. San Jacinto, Dallas College Brookhaven and Galveston College now admit MRI students without an X-ray credential, which was not true a few years ago. The trade-offs are selective admission, one start per year, and 2 or more years before you earn MRI wages.

When a certificate program makes sense

If you want the fastest path to working as an MRI tech, do not want to complete X-ray training, and your target employers accept ARMRIT, the certificate path gets you earning sooner. At $11,500 to $13,400 for Tesla MR depending on payment plan, the total investment is in the range of a public associate degree but compresses the timeline. The trade-off: no degree and no federal financial aid.

When a post-primary program makes sense

If you already hold ARRT registration in radiography, CT or another modality, adding MRI through a post-primary certificate is the fastest path. Lone Star, Dallas College, Tarrant County College, Austin Community College and Midwestern State are built for this scenario, and you would take the ARRT MRI post-primary exam.

Interested in becoming an MRI technologist? Tesla MR Institute’s 12–18 month program includes clinical training near you — no healthcare experience required.
Explore the Program

How to choose the right MRI tech program in Texas

Where do you live? DFW and Houston have the most programs and the most clinical sites. In a smaller Texas city, a program with a statewide clinical network may give you more flexibility than a campus program tied to one metro.

What credentials does your local market accept? Pull 20 to 30 MRI tech job postings in your target city and count how many say ARRT or ARMRIT versus ARRT only. Hospital systems lean slightly toward ARRT; outpatient imaging centers are generally open to both.

How fast do you need to start earning? Use the timeline guide to map realistic expectations for each path.

Do you need financial aid? Community colleges accept FAFSA. Tesla MR offers payment plans and scholarship opportunities instead.

Can you attend in-person classes? If your schedule does not allow daytime campus classes, an online-didactic program with local clinical training is the practical option. This is how most Tesla MR students in Texas complete their training while working.

Steps to get started as an MRI tech in Texas

  1. Research job postings in your target city and note which credentials employers want.
  2. Contact programs and ask exactly how clinical placement works in your area. For Tesla MR, the site team looks at your location during admissions, before you commit.
  3. Calculate your total cost, including tuition, compliance items, clinical commute and any lost work income. Our cost breakdown guide covers what to budget for.
  4. Start compliance items early. Immunizations, CPR certification and a background check are needed before clinicals at every program.
  5. Protect your clinical hours. The students who finish on time treat clinical shifts as non-negotiable.

Start Your MRI Tech Career

Earn your MRI technologist certification in 12–18 months with Tesla MR Institute. 100% online education with hands-on clinical training at a site near you. No healthcare experience or X-ray certification required.

MRI programs by city in Texas

Looking for MRI training in a specific Texas city? See our detailed guides:

ARMRIT Accredited Nationally recognized certification
334+ Clinical Sites Partner network in 38 states
Starting at $11,500 Payment plans available

Frequently Asked Questions

The table on this page compares every program we verified: three associate-degree MRI programs that admit students with no imaging credential (San Jacinto College, Dallas College Brookhaven, Galveston College), six post-primary MRI certificates for people who already hold an ARRT or similar registry (Lone Star, Dallas College, Tarrant County College, Austin Community College, Midwestern State, MD Anderson), two radiography degrees for the X-ray-first route, and Tesla MR's hybrid ARMRIT certificate with online classes and clinicals at affiliated Texas sites.

No. Texas Medical Board FAQ 58 says a radiologic technologist license is not required to practice MR in Texas at this time. Some employers still ask for an MRT certificate. That certificate's rule (TAC 186.12) lists current ARRT registration as a radiographer, radiation therapist or nuclear medicine technologist, or current NMTCB, so neither MRI-only card, ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT, qualifies for it on its own. What Texas employers check is your national MRI certification.

The Texas median for MRI technologists is $96,780 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 29-2035), with about 2,930 employed statewide. The national median on the same release is $95,480. Houston ($102,570) and Dallas-Fort Worth ($102,490) pay above the state median; San Antonio ($94,350) and Austin ($93,490) sit just below it. Texas has no state income tax, so take-home pay is higher than the same salary in most other states.

Yes. Three Texas associate-degree programs in the table admit students with no imaging credential, and Tesla MR's hybrid certificate does too. The six post-primary certificates require an existing ARRT, NMTCB or ARDMS registry, so check the prior X-ray column before you apply anywhere. No Texas license is required to practice MRI, and both ARRT (MR) and ARMRIT are valid in Texas.

Tesla MR's hybrid certificate takes most students 12 to 18 months. The associate-degree MRI programs at San Jacinto, Dallas College and Galveston run about 2 years plus prerequisites. If you already hold an ARRT registry in another modality, a post-primary certificate at Lone Star, Dallas College, Tarrant County College, ACC or Midwestern State takes 2 to 3 semesters.

The classroom part, yes. Tesla MR delivers every lecture online and places clinicals at an affiliated Texas facility. Midwestern State's post-primary certificate is fully online for coursework, and Tarrant County College and Lone Star run hybrid schedules. No program can put the clinical hours online: you need 1,000 or more hours scanning real patients under a registered technologist before you can sit for ARMRIT, and ARRT has its own clinical competency requirements.

Two accreditors matter. JRCERT accredits radiography and some MRI degree programs; MD Anderson's diagnostic imaging program and the radiography degrees at Houston Community College and Dallas College are JRCERT accredited, and San Jacinto's MRI program is seeking it. ARMRIT's Commission on Accreditation accredits MRI-specific programs; Tesla MR holds full ARMRIT accreditation through September 2031. Post-primary certificates prepare you for the ARRT (MR) exam and rely on the school's regional accreditation.

The employer section on this page lists the Texas hospital systems and imaging groups in Tesla MR's clinical network, pulled from our site database on the date shown. As of September 2026, 21 Tesla MR students have completed clinicals at Texas facilities and 34 are training at Texas sites now, with placements from Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston to San Angelo, Killeen, Temple and Midland. Our Clinical Sites team leads placement; you are not expected to find your own site.

Yes. Texas job postings for MRI technologists ask for ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT, and both are valid in Texas. Because no state license is required to practice MRI, your national certification is the credential that matters. The American College of Radiology's MRI accreditation program names ARMRIT alongside ARRT. Read each posting, since some hospital roles still specify ARRT.

Texas employs about 2,930 MRI technologists (BLS, May 2025) and added 562,941 residents between July 2023 and July 2024, the largest numeric gain of any state (Census Bureau). Nationally, BLS projects 8% growth for MRI technologists from 2025 to 2035, and the 2025 ASRT staffing survey put the MRI vacancy rate at 17.4%. Healthcare hiring follows population, and Texas is adding people faster than almost anywhere.

MRI tech schools in nearby cities and states

Arlington, Texas65+Austin, Texas4+Dallas, TexasFort Worth, Texas25+Frisco, Texas65+Houston, TexasKaty, Texas15+Killeen, Texas1Lubbock, Texas4+LouisianaNew MexicoOklahoma
Take the next step

Ready to start your MRI career in Texas?

Join hundreds of students training at clinical sites across the country. No prerequisites, no application fee, rolling admissions.

View Program Details Talk to an advisor

Related guides

For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Alabama: Birmingham, Florence, Tuscaloosa, Prattville, and Statewide Options
Every MRI technologist program a Alabama resident can attend, compared side by side, plus which Alabama health systems are in Tesla MR's clinical network and exactly how placement works.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Alaska: Anchorage, Palmer, and Statewide Options
Every MRI technologist program a Alaska resident can attend, compared side by side, plus which Alaska health systems are in Tesla MR's clinical network and exactly how placement works.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert, and Statewide Options
Every MRI technologist program a Arizona resident can attend, compared side by side, plus which Arizona health systems are in Tesla MR's clinical network and exactly how placement works.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Austin, Texas
MRI technologist training for Austin, Texas. 4+ clinical training sites in the Austin area. Tesla MR Institute: 12-18 months, no prerequisites, tuition starting at $11,500.
MRI Training in Texas 12-18 months · No prerequisites
Apply Now