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EMT & Paramedic Schools in Texas
71 schools in Texas offer EMT & paramedic-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 5 registered apprenticeship programs in Texas train EMT & paramedic apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups emt & paramedic with radiologic technology — schools below may offer any of these.
Occupation pay is what working EMT & paramedic professionals in Texas earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
EMT & Paramedic licensing in Texas: State license required
Texas requires state certification from the Department of State Health Services to work as a paramedic. You must complete a DSHS-approved paramedic program (typically 1,000+ hours after EMT), pass the NREMT Paramedic exam, and clear a fingerprint background check; certification renews every 4 years with 72 CE hours. Texas also offers a higher 'Licensed Paramedic' title for those with a 2-year EMS degree or any bachelor's degree.
Official source: Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), EMS-Trauma Systems · Exam: NREMT Paramedic cognitive exam (National Registry), then separate Texas state application · Typical requirement: 18+, high school diploma/GED, current EMT certification, completion of a DSHS-approved paramedic program (typically 1,000-1,300+ hours), AHA BLS card, fingerprint background check. The 'Licensed Paramedic' title additionally requires a 2-year EMS degree or any 4-year degree.
Official license records related to EMT & paramedic in Texas
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- Racing -- Medical Staff — Texas Racing Commission
- PARAMEDIC — Texas Department of State Health Services
- MEDICAL RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST — Texas Medical Board
- PHARMACY TECHNICIAN — Texas State Board of Pharmacy
- IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality~Occupational Licensing
- MEDICAL PHYSICIST, PROFESSIONAL — Texas Medical Board
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Mainland | Texas City | public | $1,342 | 33.7% | $39,639 |
| Lamar State College-Orange | Orange | public | $1,655 | 34.2% | $36,587 |
| South Texas College | McAllen | public | $1,751 | 32.7% | $36,788 |
| Victoria College | Victoria | public | $3,043 | 27.6% | $42,382 |
| Texas Southmost College | Brownsville | public | $3,085 | 32.9% | $41,900 |
| Lamar State College-Port Arthur | Port Arthur | public | $2,846 | 32.5% | $37,120 |
| Dallas College | Dallas | public | $3,214 | 22.8% | $41,714 |
| Del Mar College | Corpus Christi | public | $3,399 | 23.7% | $38,656 |
| El Paso Community College | El Paso | public | $3,206 | 24.1% | $35,212 |
| Tarrant County College District | Fort Worth | public | $4,337 | 24.5% | $42,727 |
| Midland College | Midland | public | $4,512 | 23.9% | $43,958 |
| Brazosport College | Lake Jackson | public | $4,732 | 35.9% | $45,910 |
| Wharton County Junior College | Wharton | public | $4,666 | 24.6% | $44,960 |
| Trinity Valley Community College | Athens | public | $4,092 | 29.1% | $38,567 |
| Amarillo College | Amarillo | public | $4,600 | 35.8% | $41,302 |
| St Philip's College | San Antonio | public | $4,273 | 18.5% | $38,224 |
| San Antonio College | San Antonio | public | $4,585 | 19.1% | $39,711 |
| Coastal Bend College | Beeville | public | $4,237 | 28.8% | $35,086 |
| McLennan Community College | Waco | public | $5,051 | 24.7% | $39,163 |
| Kilgore College | Kilgore | public | $5,364 | 33.1% | $37,975 |
| North Central Texas College | Gainesville | public | $6,587 | 24.2% | $45,809 |
| Grayson College | Denison | public | $5,880 | 32.1% | $40,873 |
| Panola College | Carthage | public | $5,216 | 36.9% | $36,072 |
| Houston City College | Houston | public | $5,737 | 20.5% | $39,254 |
| Austin Community College District | Austin | public | $6,390 | 16.1% | $43,177 |
| Odessa College | Odessa | public | $6,368 | 23% | $42,026 |
| Vernon College | Vernon | public | $6,404 | 28.9% | $40,464 |
| Howard College | Big Spring | public | $6,147 | 32.3% | $38,382 |
| South Plains College | Levelland | public | $6,791 | 24.2% | $41,276 |
| Laredo College | Laredo | public | $5,798 | 32.7% | $33,934 |
| Ranger College | Ranger | public | $6,182 | 26.9% | $35,552 |
| Northeast Texas Community College | Mount Pleasant | public | $6,706 | 44.5% | $37,870 |
| Collin County Community College District | McKinney | public | $8,969 | 20.3% | $48,701 |
| Alvin Community College | Alvin | public | $8,525 | 30.2% | $45,762 |
| Hill College | Hillsboro | public | $7,577 | 24% | $39,572 |
| Southwest Texas College | Uvalde | public | $7,372 | 38.9% | $35,563 |
| Angelina College | Lufkin | public | $7,773 | 24.9% | $37,301 |
| Paris Junior College | Paris | public | $7,690 | 28.8% | $36,515 |
| Galveston College | Galveston | public | $8,412 | 35.2% | $37,233 |
| Blinn College District | Brenham | public | $10,844 | 16.2% | $46,318 |
| Weatherford College | Weatherford | public | $9,967 | 27.9% | $42,397 |
| Cisco College | Cisco | public | $9,624 | 26.1% | $39,092 |
| Central Texas College | Killeen | public | $10,265 | 17% | $40,995 |
| Texarkana College | Texarkana | public | $8,812 | 44.6% | $34,647 |
| Lone Star College System | The Woodlands | public | $11,252 | 20.2% | $42,466 |
| Tyler Junior College | Tyler | public | $10,206 | 26.2% | $38,140 |
| Temple College | Temple | public | $10,682 | 20.2% | $38,678 |
| San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena | public | $12,143 | 32.2% | $43,062 |
| Texas State Technical College | Waco | public | $13,508 | 40.4% | $38,916 |
| Lamar Institute of Technology | Beaumont | public | $13,866 | 37.2% | $38,991 |
| Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies | Weslaco | private nonprofit | $12,051 | 84.4% | $33,472 |
| Navarro College | Corsicana | public | $14,820 | 26.5% | $38,716 |
| Fortis Institute | Houston | private for-profit | $18,332 | 63.9% | $33,193 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Houston | Houston | private for-profit | $21,396 | 74.8% | $38,673 |
| Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $21,882 | 59.3% | $38,673 |
| Southwest University at El Paso | El Paso | private for-profit | $16,906 | 82.1% | $29,648 |
| Concorde Career College-Dallas | Dallas | private for-profit | $25,299 | 76.8% | $42,456 |
| Pima Medical Institute-El Paso | El Paso | private for-profit | $23,412 | 81.8% | $38,673 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Dallas | Dallas | private for-profit | $27,411 | 75.8% | $38,922 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Austin | Austin | private for-profit | $27,575 | 81.1% | $38,922 |
| Concorde Career College-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $26,599 | 78.7% | $35,242 |
| Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie | Grand Prairie | private for-profit | $31,288 | 74.9% | $40,648 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-McAllen Campus | McAllen | private for-profit | $25,829 | 85.6% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Fort Worth | Fort Worth | private for-profit | $27,606 | 83.4% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Northwest | Houston | private for-profit | $27,830 | 73.3% | $33,070 |
| Fortis College | Houston | private for-profit | $27,964 | 67.4% | $33,193 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $28,106 | 82.8% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Southwest Houston | Houston | private for-profit | $28,471 | 77.4% | $33,070 |
| Baptist Health System School of Health Professions | San Antonio | private for-profit | not reported | 88% | $74,220 |
| Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health | Lubbock | private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | $78,724 |
| Rio Grande Valley College | Pharr | private for-profit | $19,500 | 77.7% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not EMT & paramedic graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: EMT & Paramedic school in Texas
- How much do EMT & Paramedic schools cost in Texas?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 71 EMT & paramedic schools in Texas is $7,690. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a EMT & paramedic in Texas?
- Texas requires state certification from the Department of State Health Services to work as a paramedic. You must complete a DSHS-approved paramedic program (typically 1,000+ hours after EMT), pass the NREMT Paramedic exam, and clear a fingerprint background check; certification renews every 4 years with 72 CE hours. Texas also offers a higher 'Licensed Paramedic' title for those with a 2-year EMS degree or any bachelor's degree.
- Can you get paid to train as a EMT & paramedic in Texas?
- Yes — Texas has 5 registered apprenticeship programs where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the EMT & paramedic apprenticeships page for the current list.
- What does a EMT & paramedic earn in Texas?
- Working EMT & paramedic professionals in Texas earn a median of $37,260 per year, ranging from about $30,320 to $52,160 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for EMT & paramedic programs in Texas
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EMT & Paramedic schools in nearby states
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Arkansas
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Louisiana
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Oklahoma
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Alabama
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Alaska
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Arizona
- EMT & Paramedic schools in California
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Colorado
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Connecticut
- EMT & Paramedic schools in Florida
See all states & the full EMT & paramedic guide →