Skip to content

Emergency Medical Technology Schools and Programs in The United States

38 schools in The United States teach Emergency Medical Technology.

  • Greenville Technical College

    Vocational school Greenville, The United States In an official register

    Greenville Technical College (GTC) is a technical college in Greenville, South Carolina, that has served the Upstate region since 1962. Its main campus, the Barton Campus, is at 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, and the college has 8 locations across Greenville County. GTC offers…

  • Gulf Coast State College

    Vocational school Panama City, The United States In an official register

    Gulf Coast State College (GCSC), listed here under its former name Gulf Coast Community College, is one of Florida's public colleges. Its main campus lies by the water in Panama City, Florida. It also has the North Bay Campus in Southport, a public-safety training site for…

Emergency Medical Technology Studies in The United States

Emergency medical technology is the training for the people who give medical care before a patient reaches hospital: emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, who assess patients, provide emergency care and may transport them to medical facilities. In the United States it is a regulated health profession with national certification and state licences. SpainExchange lists 39 schools in the United States that teach it, most of them community and technical colleges.

Levels of training

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), the national certification body, recognises four levels:

  • Emergency Medical Responder (EMR): immediate life-saving care such as CPR and bleeding control
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): basic emergency care, airway management and patient assessment
  • Advanced EMT (AEMT): intermediate care, including basic medications and limited advanced procedures
  • Paramedic: advanced care, including medications and life-saving procedures for critical patients

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most EMT programmes lead to a non-degree award and typically take less than a year for EMT-Basic and up to two years for the intermediate level. Applicants usually need a high school diploma and CPR and basic life support certification. Paramedics usually need experience as an EMT before starting their programme. Paramedic programmes at community colleges lead to a non-degree award or an associate degree, and some 4-year universities offer bachelor's degrees. Courses include anatomy and physiology, EKG interpretation and airway management, with supervised field experience.

Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, shows both routes. Its Paramedic associate degree (AAS) is designed for students with little or no background: they complete EMT-Basic and an EMT internship in the first year, with clinical practice in hospital emergency departments and operating rooms. Its Paramedic certificate is for students who already hold a New York State EMT card and one year of experience. Both prepare for the New York State Department of Health and NREMT paramedic exams.

Certification, licensing and accreditation

All states require EMTs and paramedics to be licensed, and requirements vary by state. Most states require NREMT certification, while others use an equivalent state exam; states may also set a minimum age and a background check. Paramedic programmes can be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) on the recommendation of CoAEMSP, as Hudson Valley's programme is. Employers typically also require a driver's licence.

Admission, visa and costs

Community colleges usually have flexible admission and offer support services for international students. Teaching is in English, and colleges ask for proof of English proficiency. The visa is the main hurdle. EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State's advising network, states that U.S. institutions cannot issue the Form I-20 for non-degree vocational training, and that community colleges offer such study as an associate degree. Most short EMT courses are therefore not open to students who need a student visa; a paramedic associate degree is the more realistic route. The M visa covers vocational study at certified schools, so ask each college's international office which visa, if any, a programme allows.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), average tuition and fees at public 2-year institutions were $4,000 in 2022-23. This is the in-state rate; non-residents pay more. Some colleges have dedicated international offices: Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, a public two-year college, says it welcomes over 175 students from more than 43 countries each year and offers arrival and housing help, orientation and immigration advising.

Where to study emergency medical technology

Programmes are spread across the country. St. Louis has two schools in this directory, Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. Examples of community and technical colleges include Hudson Valley Community College, Greenville Technical College in South Carolina, Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Chemeketa Community College. The list also includes universities with medical schools, such as Yale University and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Careers

The largest employers of EMTs are ambulance services (46% of jobs in 2025), local government and hospitals, according to BLS; for paramedics, local government and ambulance services each account for 38%. BLS projects their employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 18,200 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an EMT and a paramedic?

An EMT provides basic emergency care; a paramedic provides advanced care, including medications and life-saving procedures. Paramedic training is longer and usually requires EMT experience first.

Can I take an EMT course in the United States on a student visa?

Usually not for a short, non-degree course: EducationUSA notes that U.S. institutions cannot issue I-20 forms for non-degree vocational training. A paramedic associate degree at a community college is the more common route.

Is a U.S. paramedic qualification valid in other countries?

Not automatically. U.S. licences are issued by each state, so check the rules of the country where you plan to work before enrolling.