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EMT classes in Chicago, Illinois

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

16 schools offer these EMT and paramedic programs with classes in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, and every one is approved for workforce funding: 22 by Illinois and 10 by Indiana. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

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 Chicago, 12 of the 32 programs take students without a high school diploma, 2 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 18 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 32 programs here are EMT (19 programs), paramedic (8 programs), paramedic or EMS (associate degree, 4 programs) and firefighter with EMT or paramedic (1 program).

See the 32 programs

All 52 EMT and paramedic programs in Illinois, including online programs

How much do EMT classes cost in Chicago?

$1,252 to $5,725 is what most EMT and paramedic programs in Chicago cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 10 programs with a price. All of them: $991 to $9,559

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
81%
Earned a year, estimated
about $42,500
Length
16 to 42 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 Chicago may also offer EMT classes. How these figures are made

Are there free EMT classes in Chicago?

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

All 32 EMT and paramedic programs in Chicago approved for WIOA funding

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32 programs

How to pay for EMT classes in Chicago

WIOA funding can pay for EMT classes in Chicago

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.

Other training in Chicago

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

Where the Chicago EMT and paramedic program numbers come from

Which Chicago EMT and paramedic programs are on this list?

These are the EMT and paramedic programs with classes in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area that are 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. Online programs are left out here; they are on the Illinois page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How the prices and results of Chicago 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 Chicago

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