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EMT classes in Illinois

52 EMT (emergency medical technician) and paramedic programs with results and funding that can make them free

29 schools offer these EMT and paramedic programs, and Illinois has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices.

EMTs and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, give emergency medical care and may take patients to hospital. A basic EMT course usually takes less than a year and the intermediate level up to two, and every state requires a license.1 Every state recognizes National Registry (NREMT) certification as proof of entry-level skill before it issues an EMT license.2

In Illinois, 5 of the 52 programs take students without a high school diploma, 5 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 42 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 52 programs here are EMT (21 programs), paramedic (17 programs), paramedic or EMS (associate degree, 12 programs), advanced EMT (1 program), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 52 programs

How much do EMT classes cost in Illinois?

Not reported

Illinois files no usable prices, so none can be shown.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 52 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
Only 11 of 52 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
Only 11 of 52 programs report it
Length
16 to 64 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Illinois may also offer EMT classes. How these figures are made

Are there free EMT classes in Illinois?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 52 EMT and paramedic programs in Illinois approved for WIOA funding

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52 programs

How to pay for EMT classes in Illinois

WIOA funding can pay for EMT classes in Illinois

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for EMT classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for EMT classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

EMT classes in Chicago, Champaign, Mount Vernon and other Illinois cities

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above. 15 more programs are in 11 other areas, 1 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Illinois

How EMT classes compare with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Illinois

Where the Illinois EMT and paramedic program numbers come from

Which Illinois EMT and paramedic programs are on this list?

These are the EMT and paramedic programs Illinois approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Illinois offers.

How the prices and results of Illinois EMT and paramedic programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Illinois figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".11 We leave out the share who finished for Illinois: only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%. We leave out prices for Illinois: the state files a code in place of each price, so no price can be shown.

Sources for the facts about EMT classes in Illinois

Show the 11 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: EMTs and Paramedics
  2. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians: About Us
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. 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)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. 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
  11. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns