First responder training in Colorado
100 first responder programs in 4 fields of public safety, with costs, results and funding that can make them free
17 schools offer these programs, and Colorado has approved every one for workforce funding. Compare the 4 fields below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.
First responder training covers the people who come when you call 911: EMT and paramedic classes, police and corrections academies and fire academies, along with criminal justice and fire science certificates and degrees. It also takes in security guard training.
All job training programs in Colorado, every line of work
Accredited first responder schools in Colorado, each school with its accreditor
First responder training by state, to compare Colorado with other states
Compare first responder programs in Colorado: cost, pay and results
39 programs at 14 schools
- Most cost
- $1,589 to $6,345
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $50,300
- Working 6 months later
- 65%
- Finished
- 63%
32 programs at 8 schools
- Most cost
- $648 to $5,186
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $37,700
- Working 6 months later
- 47%
- Finished
- 73%
20 programs at 7 schools
- Most cost
- $4,130 to $12,440
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $44,900
- Working 6 months later
- 52%
- Finished
- 27%
9 programs at 5 schools
- Most cost
- $3,245 to $8,561
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $46,900
- Working 6 months later
- 78%
- Finished
- 92%
Each figure is the middle program of that field. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in Colorado may offer more. How these figures are made
Other job training in Colorado, by line of work
- Trade school programs269
- IT certification programs236
- Business and office training149
- Medical certification programs106
- Child care and social services training73
- Allied health programs67
- Culinary and hospitality programs45
- Nursing and patient care programs43
- Transportation and logistics training34
- Beauty school16
- All job training in Colorado1,138
Programs approved in Colorado in each line of work.
Where the Colorado first responder numbers come from
Which Colorado programs are counted?
Programs Colorado approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) in the fields listed above. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).5 They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Colorado offers.
What the figures for each field mean
Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).
How reliable are the Colorado figures?
The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Colorado among the states with "known data quality concerns".6 The figures here are shown as the state reported them; check them with the school before you enroll.
Sources for the funding facts about first responder programs in Colorado
Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns