Fire academy in Colorado

32 firefighter programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

8 schools offer these firefighter programs, and Colorado has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Firefighters put out fires and answer emergencies that put people, property or the environment at risk. Most need a high school diploma, must pass written and physical tests and an interview, and then train for a few months at a fire academy run by a fire department or the state. Firefighters may also need EMT or paramedic certification.¹

In Colorado, 27 of the 32 programs take students without a high school diploma, 4 ask for earlier courses first and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

By kind, the 32 programs here are fire science program (level not stated, 22 programs) and wildland firefighter course (10 programs).

See the 32 programs

How much does fire academy cost in Colorado?

$648 to $5,186 is what most firefighter programs in Colorado cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 32 programs with a price. All of them: $440 to $18,108

In the typical program

Finished the program: 73%
Working 6 months later: 47%
Earned a year, estimated: about $37,700
Length: 4 to 60 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 Colorado may also offer fire academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free fire academy training in Colorado?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Most firefighter programs in Colorado cost $648 to $5,186. Prices on this page run from $440 to $18,108.

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

How to pay for fire academy training in Colorado

WIOA funding can pay for fire academy training in Colorado

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 fire academy training

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.⁶⁷

GI Bill for fire academy training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

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

Quick facts: Fire academy in Colorado

programs with a price cost under $1,000: 14 of 32
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 2nd of 15
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 4 of 9
most firefighter programs of any state, after Ohio and California: 3rd

State comparisons use the same figures as the fire academy training 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).

Fire academy in Pueblo, Rifle, Sterling and other Colorado cities

Pueblo area11

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above. 7 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Colorado

How fire academy training compares with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Colorado

Where the Colorado firefighter program numbers come from

Which Colorado firefighter programs are on this list?

These are the firefighter programs Colorado 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).⁹ 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 Colorado offers.

How the prices and results of Colorado firefighter 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 Colorado figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Colorado among the states with "known data quality concerns".¹⁰ The figures here are shown as the state reported them; check them with the school before you enroll.

Sources for the facts about fire academy training in Colorado

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Fire academy in Colorado

How much does fire academy cost in Colorado?

Is there free fire academy training in Colorado?

All 32 firefighter programs in Colorado approved for WIOA funding

Wildland Firefighter Type 2

Fire Science Technologies

Fire Science Technologies 4

Wildland Firefighter Type 1

Fire Science Technologies

Fire Science Technologies 7

Fire Science Technologies 2

Wildland Firefighter

Fire Science Technology

Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior

Fire Science Technology

Fire Science Technologies 2

Fire Science Technologies 8

Fire Science Technologies 1

Wildland Firefighter 1

Wildland Firefighter 2

Firing Operations 1

Firing Operations 2

Firing Operations 3

Fire Science Technology 4

Fire Science Technologies 3

Wildland Firefighter Type1

Fire Science Technology 2

Fire Science Technology 3

Fire Science Technology 6

Fire Science Technology 1

Fire Science Technology 5