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EMT classes in Iowa

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

12 schools offer these EMT and paramedic programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. 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 Iowa, 2 of the 22 programs take students without a high school diploma, 13 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 7 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 22 programs here are paramedic or EMS (associate degree, 7 programs), EMT (7 programs), paramedic (4 programs), refresher or continuing education (2 programs), and 2 more of one other kind.

See the 22 programs

How much do EMT classes cost in Iowa?

Certificates and short courses (15 programs)
$1,483 to $6,290most of them, usually 16 to 36 weeks long
Two-year degrees (7 programs)
$13,340 to $15,772most of them, usually 68 to 78 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
45%
Working 6 months later
86%
Earned a year, estimated
about $43,700
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 Iowa may also offer EMT classes. How these figures are made

Are there free EMT classes in Iowa?

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

All 22 EMT and paramedic programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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22 programs

How to pay for EMT classes in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for EMT classes in Iowa

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.

Quick facts: EMT classes in Iowa

programs with a price cost under $2,000
7 of 22
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
30th of 36
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
17 of 25
EMT and paramedic programs here, against the typical state's 18
22 vs 18

State comparisons use the same figures as the EMT classes by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

EMT classes in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Burlington and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 4 more programs are in 4 other areas, 5 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Iowa

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

Where the Iowa EMT and paramedic program numbers come from

Which Iowa EMT and paramedic programs are on this list?

These are the EMT and paramedic programs Iowa 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 Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa 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.

Sources for the facts about EMT classes in Iowa

Show the 10 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