Criminal justice, security and fire ยท bachelor's degree
Fire science major: colleges and pay
36 colleges in our data award bachelor's degrees in fire science, 1,592 of them in 2023-24. Graduates of the typical program earned $67,977 a year after graduating and $80,497 four years after.
Official field name: Fire Protection.
Colleges where fire science graduates earn the most
Programs with at least 10 graduates in 2023-24, ranked by median earnings four years after graduation.
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL | 21 | $104,092 | $108,135 | n/a |
| Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA | 51 | $104,691 | $100,060 | $20,251 |
| University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, FL | 43 | $82,625 | $97,839 | n/a |
| Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL | 932 | $93,578 | $88,735 | $15,542 |
| American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV | 44 | $67,279 | $87,428 | $21,516 |
| Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT | 96 | $67,977 | $83,807 | $18,938 |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY | 52 | $62,905 | $80,497 | $26,769 |
| University of New HavenWest Haven, CT | 19 | $59,234 | $79,199 | $25,500 |
| Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC | 33 | $74,857 | $73,969 | n/a |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY | 31 | $53,840 | $72,228 | n/a |
| New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ | 16 | $66,018 | $69,444 | n/a |
| Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL | 14 | $50,432 | $68,753 | n/a |
| Methodist UniversityFayetteville, NC | 14 | n/a | $53,649 | $27,000 |
Largest fire science programs
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL | 932 | $93,578 | $88,735 | $15,542 |
| Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT | 96 | $67,977 | $83,807 | $18,938 |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY | 52 | $62,905 | $80,497 | $26,769 |
| Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA | 51 | $104,691 | $100,060 | $20,251 |
| American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV | 44 | $67,279 | $87,428 | $21,516 |
| Eastern Oregon UniversityLa Grande, OR | 44 | $115,217 | n/a | $19,500 |
| University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, FL | 43 | $82,625 | $97,839 | n/a |
| California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 38 | $61,998 | n/a | $15,000 |
| Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC | 33 | $74,857 | $73,969 | n/a |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY | 31 | $53,840 | $72,228 | n/a |
| Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA | 25 | $79,958 | n/a | $24,542 |
| Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL | 21 | $104,092 | $108,135 | n/a |
| University of New HavenWest Haven, CT | 19 | $59,234 | $79,199 | $25,500 |
| California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, CA | 18 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ | 16 | $66,018 | $69,444 | n/a |
Every college with a fire science major
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL | 21 | $104,092 | $108,135 | n/a |
| Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA | 51 | $104,691 | $100,060 | $20,251 |
| Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO | 5 | n/a | $98,019 | n/a |
| University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, FL | 43 | $82,625 | $97,839 | n/a |
| Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL | 932 | $93,578 | $88,735 | $15,542 |
| American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV | 44 | $67,279 | $87,428 | $21,516 |
| Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT | 96 | $67,977 | $83,807 | $18,938 |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY | 52 | $62,905 | $80,497 | $26,769 |
| University of New HavenWest Haven, CT | 19 | $59,234 | $79,199 | $25,500 |
| Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC | 33 | $74,857 | $73,969 | n/a |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY | 31 | $53,840 | $72,228 | n/a |
| University of Akron Main CampusAkron, OH | 8 | $54,057 | $71,482 | n/a |
| New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ | 16 | $66,018 | $69,444 | n/a |
| Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL | 14 | $50,432 | $68,753 | n/a |
| Methodist UniversityFayetteville, NC | 14 | n/a | $53,649 | $27,000 |
| Eastern Oregon UniversityLa Grande, OR | 44 | $115,217 | n/a | $19,500 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, OH | 11 | $93,820 | n/a | n/a |
| Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA | 25 | $79,958 | n/a | $24,542 |
| Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, MI | 9 | $68,504 | n/a | n/a |
| Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO | 10 | $67,767 | n/a | n/a |
| California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 38 | $61,998 | n/a | $15,000 |
| California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, CA | 18 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, NV | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Columbia CollegeColumbia, SC | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| East Georgia State CollegeSwainsboro, GA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Faulkner UniversityMontgomery, AL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Gardner-Webb UniversityBoiling Springs, NC | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Idaho State UniversityPocatello, ID | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Pierce College DistrictLakewood, WA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Providence CollegeProvidence, RI | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Salem State UniversitySalem, MA | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, OH | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies OnlineManchester, NH | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, WI | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do fire science majors make?
Graduates of the typical fire science program earned a median of $67,977 one year after graduation and $80,497 four years after, in 2024 dollars.
Which college has the highest-paid fire science graduates?
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where graduates earned a median of $108,135 four years after graduation (programs with at least 10 graduates).
How many colleges offer a fire science major?
36 colleges on the College Scorecard awarded bachelor's degrees in fire science in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.