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Fire academy in Illinois

8 firefighter programs with results and funding that can make them free

5 schools offer these firefighter programs, and Illinois has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices.

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 Illinois, 3 of the 8 programs take students without a high school diploma and 5 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 8 programs here are fire science (associate degree, 5 programs), fire science certificate or diploma (2 programs) and fire academy (Firefighter I and II, 1 program).

See the 8 programs

How much does fire academy cost in Illinois?

Not reported

Illinois files no usable prices, so none can be shown.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 8 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not reported
None of the 8 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
None of the 8 programs report it
Length
32 to 68 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 Illinois may also offer fire academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free fire academy training in Illinois?

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

All 8 firefighter programs in Illinois approved for WIOA funding

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8 programs

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Fire Science AAS Degree

    John Wood Community College

    Quincy

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    John Wood Community College, QuincyFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science AAS Degree at John Wood Community College
    More details about Fire Science AAS Degree at John Wood Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science AAS Degree at John Wood Community College

  • Fire science certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Fire Science BVS

    Elgin Comm. College District #509

    Elgin

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Elgin Comm. College District #509, ElginFire science certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science BVS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    More details about Fire Science BVS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science BVS at Elgin Comm. College District #509

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Fire Science Technology (AAS)

    Waubonsee Community College

    Sugar Grove

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Waubonsee Community College, Sugar GroveFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science Technology (AAS) at Waubonsee Community College
    More details about Fire Science Technology (AAS) at Waubonsee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science Technology (AAS) at Waubonsee Community College

  • Fire science (associate degree)HybridEducation and courses

    Fire Science Technology AAS 25FB

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    College of Lake County, GrayslakeFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science Technology AAS 25FB at College of Lake County
    More details about Fire Science Technology AAS 25FB at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    80 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science Technology AAS 25FB at College of Lake County

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Fire Science and EMS (AAS)-FS300

    Joliet Junior College

    Joliet

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Joliet Junior College, JolietFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science and EMS (AAS)-FS300 at Joliet Junior College
    More details about Fire Science and EMS (AAS)-FS300 at Joliet Junior College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    104 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science and EMS (AAS)-FS300 at Joliet Junior College

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Fire Science and Safety AAS

    Elgin Comm. College District #509

    Elgin

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Elgin Comm. College District #509, ElginFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science and Safety AAS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    More details about Fire Science and Safety AAS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science and Safety AAS at Elgin Comm. College District #509

  • Fire science certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Fire Science and Safety VS

    Elgin Comm. College District #509

    Elgin

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Elgin Comm. College District #509, ElginFire science certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Fire Science and Safety VS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    More details about Fire Science and Safety VS at Elgin Comm. College District #509
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Fire Science and Safety VS at Elgin Comm. College District #509

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personEducation and courses

    Firefighter Certificate

    Waubonsee Community College

    Sugar Grove

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Waubonsee Community College, Sugar GroveFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Firefighter Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    More details about Firefighter Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    30 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Firefighter Certificate at Waubonsee Community College

How to pay for fire academy training in Illinois

WIOA funding can pay for fire academy training in Illinois

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.

Fire academy in Chicago, Quincy and other Illinois cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Illinois

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

Where the Illinois firefighter program numbers come from

Which Illinois firefighter programs are on this list?

These are the firefighter programs Illinois 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 Illinois offers.

How the prices and results of Illinois 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 Illinois figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".10 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 fire academy training in Illinois

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Firefighters
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. 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)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. 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
  10. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns