Fire Protection: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Fire Protection graduates earn a median $86,436 four years after finishing — $38,076/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.8 years. Federal data pools 51 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,319 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | IL | $108,135 |
| 2 | Waldorf University | IA | $100,060 |
| 3 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | $99,557 |
| 4 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | $98,019 |
| 5 | Purdue University Global | IN | $97,967 |
| 6 | University of Florida | FL | $97,839 |
| 7 | University of Florida-Online | FL | $97,839 |
| 8 | Columbia Southern University | AL | $88,735 |
| 9 | American Public University System | WV | $87,428 |
| 10 | Utah Valley University | UT | $83,807 |
| 11 | Eastern Kentucky University | KY | $80,497 |
| 12 | University of New Haven | CT | $79,199 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.