Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training

Fire academy in North Carolina

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

8 schools offer these firefighter programs, and North Carolina 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 North Carolina, all 8 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 8 programs here are fire academy (Firefighter I and II, 5 programs) and fire science (associate degree, 3 programs).

See the 8 programs

How much does fire academy cost in North Carolina?

$523 to $5,018 is what most firefighter programs in North Carolina cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 8 programs with a price. All of them: $180 to $5,870

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
23 to 62 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 North Carolina may also offer fire academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free fire academy training in North Carolina?

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

All 8 firefighter programs in North Carolina approved for WIOA funding

Filters
What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

8 programs

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Firefighter Academy

    Nash Community College

    Rocky Mount

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Nash Community College, Rocky MountFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$35,600
    Price if you pay yourself$635
    Program website, Firefighter Academy at Nash Community College
    More details about Firefighter Academy at Nash Community College
    Finished
    71%
    Working at 6 months
    92%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,896
    Length
    19 weeks, 42 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $660
    Students counted
    98
    Earned a year, estimated
    $35,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $635
    Program website, Firefighter Academy at Nash Community College

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Protection Technology

    Cape Fear Community College

    Wilmington

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Cape Fear Community College, WilmingtonFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$45,500
    Price if you pay yourself$5,870
    School website, Fire Protection Technology at Cape Fear Community College
    More details about Fire Protection Technology at Cape Fear Community College
    Finished
    18%
    Working at 6 months
    67%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,386
    Length
    84 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,700
    Students counted
    65
    Earned a year, estimated
    $45,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    $5,870
    School website, Fire Protection Technology at Cape Fear Community College

  • Fire science (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Protection Technology (AAS)

    Davidson-Davie Community College

    Thomasville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Davidson-Davie Community College, ThomasvilleFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$79,500
    Price if you pay yourself$5,478
    Program website, Fire Protection Technology (AAS) at Davidson-Davie Community College
    More details about Fire Protection Technology (AAS) at Davidson-Davie Community College
    Finished
    40%
    Working at 6 months
    96%
    Earned in a quarter
    $19,879
    Length
    72 weeks, 22 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,000
    Students counted
    58
    Earned a year, estimated
    $79,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    $5,478
    Program website, Fire Protection Technology (AAS) at Davidson-Davie Community College

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Crystal Coast Fire Academy WFD/CE

    Carteret Community College

    Morehead City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Carteret Community College, Morehead CityFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$180
    Program website, Crystal Coast Fire Academy WFD/CE at Carteret Community College
    More details about Crystal Coast Fire Academy WFD/CE at Carteret Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $351
    Students counted
    23
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $180
    Program website, Crystal Coast Fire Academy WFD/CE at Carteret Community College

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Coastal Carolina Fire Academy WFD/CE

    Coastal Carolina Community College

    Jacksonville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Coastal Carolina Community College, JacksonvilleFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$186
    Program website, Coastal Carolina Fire Academy WFD/CE at Coastal Carolina Community College
    More details about Coastal Carolina Fire Academy WFD/CE at Coastal Carolina Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    24 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $300
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $186
    Program website, Coastal Carolina Fire Academy WFD/CE at Coastal Carolina Community College

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Fighter Certification

    Tri-County Community College

    Murphy

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Tri-County Community College, MurphyFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,000
    School website, Fire Fighter Certification at Tri-County Community College
    More details about Fire Fighter Certification at Tri-County Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $800
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,000
    School website, Fire Fighter Certification at Tri-County Community College

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Academy

    Forsyth Technical Community College

    Winston-Salem

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Forsyth Technical Community College, Winston-SalemFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,201
    School website, Fire Academy at Forsyth Technical Community College
    More details about Fire Academy at Forsyth Technical Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    27 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,650
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,201
    School website, Fire Academy at Forsyth Technical Community College

  • Fire science (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree

    Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College

    Asheville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College, AshevilleFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,864
    Program website, Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree at Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College
    More details about Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree at Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    58 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,784
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,864
    Program website, Fire Protection Technology AAS Degree at Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College

How to pay for fire academy training in North Carolina

WIOA funding can pay for fire academy training in North Carolina

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 North Carolina

programs with a price cost under $1,000
3 of 8
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
1st of 15
firefighter programs here, against the typical state's 4
8 vs 4

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 Winston-Salem, Rocky Mount, Wilmington and other North Carolina cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in North Carolina

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

Where the North Carolina firefighter program numbers come from

Which North Carolina firefighter programs are on this list?

These are the firefighter programs North Carolina 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 North Carolina offers.

How the prices and results of North Carolina 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.

Sources for the facts about fire academy training in North Carolina

Show the 9 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