According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is projected to grow by 33% between 2010 and 2020. This unprecedented growth rate — more than double the average growth rate for all occupations — is a result of post-secondary EMT programs increasing in both quality and quantity. But with so many different programs available, students now have the difficult job of choosing the school that will reward them with the highest possible return on their college investment. Any of the 80 colleges and universities below would be excellent choices for financially-conscious students.
Using only the most trusted data, we crafted this list of the EMT programs with the highest degree value in the country. The institutions included on our list have annual tuition rates below $10,000 — this figure includes tuition only; some colleges may have other fees associated with enrollment — and graduates from any of these schools that pursue careers in the EMT and Paramedic field can expect to make at least three times that amount yearly.
For a more comprehensive look at how we built our list, please read our methodology page.
| Rank | Name | Salary | Tuition | Total Enrollment | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | $34,210 | $728 | 18,665 | Visalia | California |
| 2 | Butte College | $34,210 | $864 | 17,877 | Oroville | California |
| 3 | East Los Angeles College | $34,210 | $958 | 54,962 | Monterey Park | California |
| 4 | Santa Rosa Junior College | $34,210 | $980 | 36,845 | Santa Rosa | California |
| 5 | Bakersfield College | $34,210 | $1,008 | 27,426 | Bakersfield | California |
| 6 | Los Medanos College | $34,210 | $1,008 | 14,574 | Pittsburgh | California |
| 7 | Skyline College | $34,210 | $1,080 | 16,298 | San Bruno | California |
| 8 | Navarro College | $31,980 | $1,080 | 15,272 | Corsicana | Texas |
| 9 | Central New Mexico Community College | $34,740 | $1,158 | 43,062 | Albuquerque | New Mexico |
| 10 | San Jacinto Community College | $31,980 | $1,512 | 41,792 | Pasadena | Texas |
| 11 | Eastern Arizona College | $31,150 | $1,600 | 10,426 | Thatcher | Arizona |
| 12 | El Paso Community College | $31,980 | $1,608 | 41,768 | El Paso | Texas |
| 13 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | $34,740 | $1,608 | 13,358 | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
| 14 | Yavapai College | $31,150 | $1,608 | 12,973 | Prescott | Arizona |
| 15 | Austin Community College District | $31,980 | $1,635 | 77,953 | Austin | Texas |
| 16 | Arizona Western College | $31,150 | $1,680 | 13,344 | Yuma | Arizona |
| 17 | West Georgia Technical College | $30,340 | $1,800 | 12,507 | Waco | Georgia |
| 18 | Gwinnett Technical College | $30,340 | $1,800 | 11,010 | Lawrenceville | Georgia |
| 19 | Georgia Northwestern Technical College | $30,340 | $1,800 | 10,411 | Rome | Georgia |
| 20 | Broward College | $32,650 | $1,810 | 60,085 | Fort Lauderdale | Florida |
| 21 | College of Central Florida | $32,650 | $1,819 | 12,325 | Ocala | Florida |
| 22 | Mesa Community College | $31,150 | $1,824 | 41,836 | Mesa | Arizona |
| 23 | Glendale Community College | $31,150 | $1,824 | 32,962 | Glendale | Arizona |
| 24 | Phoenix College | $31,150 | $1,824 | 21,392 | Phoenix | Arizona |
| 25 | Scottsdale Community College | $31,150 | $1,824 | 17,702 | Scottsdale | Arizona |
| 26 | Paradise Valley Community College | $31,150 | $1,824 | 16,046 | Phoenix | Arizona |
| 27 | Santa Fe College | $32,650 | $1,840 | 21,793 | Gainesville | Florida |
| 28 | Hillsborough Community College | $32,650 | $1,875 | 40,213 | Tampa | Florida |
| 29 | Brevard Community College | $32,650 | $1,892 | 25,283 | Cocoa | Florida |
| 30 | Pensacola State College | $32,650 | $1,954 | 17,485 | Pensacola | Florida |
| 31 | Florida State College at Jacksonville | $32,650 | $1,995 | 49,670 | Jacksonville | Florida |
| 32 | Tallahassee Community College | $32,650 | $1,997 | 21,176 | Tallahassee | Florida |
| 33 | Gulf Coast State College | $32,650 | $2,042 | 10,716 | Panama City | Florida |
| 34 | Oklahoma City Community College | $31,530 | $2,146 | 22,522 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma |
| 35 | Houston Community College | $31,980 | $2,160 | 92,869 | Houston | Texas |
| 36 | Pasco-Hernando Community College | $32,650 | $2,188 | 15,065 | New Port Richey | Florida |
| 37 | Northwest Florida State College | $32,650 | $2,256 | 11,803 | Niceville | Florida |
| 38 | Tyler Junior College | $31,980 | $2,280 | 15,806 | Tyler | Texas |
| 39 | Valencia College | $32,650 | $2,300 | 59,259 | Orlando | Florida |
| 40 | Palm Beach State College | $32,650 | $2,304 | 43,530 | Lake Worth | Florida |
| 41 | St Petersburg College | $32,650 | $2,324 | 43,534 | Largo | Florida |
| 42 | Miami Dade College | $32,650 | $1,235 (One Semester) | 99,232 | Miami | Florida |
| 43 | Seminole State College of Florida | $32,650 | $2,365 | 26,884 | Sanford | Florida |
| 44 | Polk State College | $32,650 | $2,373 | 15,150 | Winter Haven | Florida |
| 45 | Indian River State College | $32,650 | $2,376 | 26,197 | Fort Pierce | Florida |
| 46 | El Centro College | $31,980 | $2,490 | 19,312 | Dallas | Texas |
| 47 | Edison State College | $32,650 | $2,508 | 24,097 | Fort Myers | Florida |
| 48 | Front Range Community College | $39,560 | $2,540 | 30,268 | Westminster | Colorado |
| 49 | Community College of Denver | $39,560 | $2,540 | 19,455 | Denver | Colorado |
| 50 | Arapahoe Community College | $39,560 | $2,540 | 18,336 | Littleton | Colorado |
| 51 | Red Rocks Community College | $39,560 | $2,540 | 15,229 | Lakewood | Colorado |
| 52 | Pueblo Community College | $39,560 | $2,541 | 12,224 | Pueblo | Colorado |
| 53 | Lone Star College System | $31,980 | $2,640 | 86,966 | The Woodlands | Texas |
| 54 | Delgado Community College | $36,790 | $2,640 | 26,924 | New Orleans | Louisiana |
| 55 | Colorado Mountain College | $39,560 | $2,670 | 10,740 | Glenwood Springs | Colorado |
| 56 | NorthWest Arkansas Community College | $30,110 | $2,820 | 12,190 | Bentonville | Arkansas |
| 57 | Daytona State College | $32,650 | $3,074 | 25,231 | Daytona Beach | Florida |
| 58 | Southwest Tennessee Community College | $31,780 | $3,096 | 19,989 | Memphis | Tennessee |
| 59 | Chattanooga State Community College | $31,780 | $3,096 | 13,549 | Chattanooga | Tennessee |
| 60 | Volunteer State Community College | $31,780 | $3,096 | 12,351 | Gallatin | Tennessee |
| 61 | Seattle Community College-North Campus | $50,980 | $3,152 | 11,345 | Seattle | Washington |
| 62 | Community College of Aurora | $39,560 | $3,175 | 11,652 | Aurora | Colorado |
| 63 | Dixie State College of Utah | $35,180 | $3,288 | 11,387 | Saint George | Utah |
| 64 | Chemeketa Community College | $38,450 | $3,465 | 22,782 | Salem | Oregon |
| 65 | College of Southern Idaho | $30,830 | $3,640 | 13,727 | Twin Falls | Idaho |
| 66 | Hudson Valley Community College | $39,210 | $3,700 | 19,325 | Troy | New York |
| 67 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $30,150 | $4,092 | 17,572 | Kalamazoo | Michigan |
| 68 | Arkansas Tech University | $30,110 | $4,320 | 11,783 | Russellville | Arkansas |
| 69 | Lansing Community College | $30,150 | $4,740 | 31,462 | Lansing | Michigan |
| 70 | South Texas College | $31,980 | $4,935 | 36,951 | McAllen | Texas |
| 71 | City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | $48,350 | $5,207 | 19,590 | Chicago | Illinois |
| 72 | City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | $48,350 | $5,207 | 13,065 | Chicago | Illinois |
| 73 | Pikes Peak Community College | $39,560 | $6,042 | 21,987 | Colorado Springs | Colorado |
| 74 | Prairie State College | $48,350 | $6,192 | 12,010 | Chicago Heights | Illinois |
| 75 | Southwestern Illinois College | $48,350 | $6,468 | 24,685 | Belleville | Illinois |
| 76 | Triton College | $48,350 | $7,314 | 23,343 | River Grove | Illinois |
| 77 | Elgin Community College | $48,350 | $8,064 | 19,357 | Elgin | Illinois |
| 78 | Harper College | $48,350 | $8,628 | 28,292 | Palatine | Illinois |
| 79 | South Suburban College | $48,350 | $8,640 | 15,724 | South Holland | Illinois |
| 80 | College of DuPage | $48,350 | $9,157 | 48,128 | Glen Ellyn | Illinois |