Best Schools for Fire Protection in 2026
37 schools ranked by TSW Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Fire Protection, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Fire Protection graduate earns $51,104/yr across 37 schools.
Programs Ranked
37
Avg Earnings
$51,104/yr
Avg TSW Score
72/100
AI-Proof Rating
Resilient
35% task exposure
All Fire Protection Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, IL · Fire Protection |
83
79–85 |
$77,935/yr | 184.2x |
| 2 |
North Shore Community College
Danvers, MA · Fire Protection |
78
75–80 |
$90,948/yr | 84.0x |
| 3 |
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Cincinnati, OH · Fire Protection |
78
75–80 |
$91,944/yr | 84.1x |
| 4 |
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, AL · Fire Protection |
75
72–77 |
$75,326/yr | 68.4x |
| 5 |
St Petersburg College
St. Petersburg, FL · Fire Protection |
80
76–81 |
$55,829/yr | 207.2x |
| 6 |
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL · Fire Protection |
73
70–74 |
$58,160/yr | 66.3x |
| 7 |
Lamar Institute of Technology
Beaumont, TX · Fire Protection |
80
76–81 |
$55,778/yr | 195.1x |
| 8 |
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, CA · Fire Protection |
80
76–82 |
$53,847/yr | 483.9x |
| 9 |
Northwest Florida State College
Niceville, FL · Fire Protection |
79
75–80 |
$52,856/yr | 161.8x |
| 10 |
Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson, KS · Fire Protection |
73
69–75 |
$51,007/yr | 82.0x |
| 11 |
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN · Fire Protection |
68
65–70 |
$70,749/yr | 39.0x |
| 12 |
Modesto Junior College
Modesto, CA · Fire Protection |
79
75–81 |
$50,364/yr | 395.6x |
| 13 |
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL · Fire Protection |
78
74–80 |
$49,810/yr | 172.1x |
| 14 |
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, FL · Fire Protection |
79
75–81 |
$50,331/yr | 270.5x |
| 15 |
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, FL · Fire Protection |
78
74–79 |
$47,206/yr | 195.0x |
| 16 |
Augusta Technical College
Augusta, GA · Fire Protection |
76
72–77 |
$48,265/yr | 119.0x |
| 17 |
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO · Fire Protection |
77
73–79 |
$48,321/yr | 153.6x |
| 18 |
McLennan Community College
Waco, TX · Fire Protection |
77
73–79 |
$47,467/yr | 167.3x |
| 19 |
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, CA · Fire Protection |
78
74–80 |
$46,660/yr | 394.4x |
| 20 |
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, FL · Fire Protection |
78
73–79 |
$46,698/yr | 225.1x |
| 21 |
Valencia College
Orlando, FL · Fire Protection |
73
70–74 |
$45,657/yr | 91.3x |
| 22 |
Austin Community College District
Austin, TX · Fire Protection |
78
74–79 |
$47,024/yr | 224.7x |
| 23 |
Aims Community College
Greeley, CO · Fire Protection |
77
73–78 |
$44,470/yr | 211.8x |
| 24 |
Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, FL · Fire Protection |
75
71–77 |
$42,696/yr | 167.8x |
| 25 |
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI · Fire Protection |
76
72–77 |
$44,178/yr | 145.3x |
| 26 |
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · Fire Protection |
75
70–76 |
$39,283/yr | 252.0x |
| 27 |
Honolulu Community College
Honolulu, HI · Fire Protection |
64
62–66 |
$37,817/yr | 58.6x |
| 28 |
Waldorf University
Forest City, IA · Fire Protection |
62
58–63 |
$76,032/yr | 14.7x |
| 29 |
Onondaga Community College
Syracuse, NY · Fire Protection |
62
55–64 |
$37,705/yr | 48.4x |
| 30 |
Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Monroe, OH · Fire Protection |
61
57–63 |
$47,379/yr | — |
| 31 |
Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ · Fire Protection |
72
67–74 |
$35,059/yr | 242.3x |
| 32 |
Great Oaks Career Campuses
Cincinnati, OH · Fire Protection |
59
55–60 |
$41,349/yr | — |
| 33 |
Hill College
Hillsboro, TX · Fire Protection |
67
63–68 |
$33,190/yr | 92.0x |
| 34 |
George Stone Technical College
Pensacola, FL · Fire Protection |
58
54–59 |
$39,560/yr | — |
| 35 |
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN · Fire Protection |
58
54–59 |
$38,326/yr | 32.8x |
| 36 |
Marion Technical College
Ocala, FL · Fire Protection |
57
53–58 |
$37,678/yr | — |
| 37 |
Lake Technical College
Eustis, FL · Fire Protection |
54
50–56 |
$33,942/yr | — |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Fire Protection?
Based on our TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Southwestern Illinois College ranks #1 for Fire Protection with a score of 83/100 and graduate earnings of $77,935/yr.
How much do Fire Protection graduates earn?
Across 37 schools, Fire Protection graduates earn an average of $51,104/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $91,944/yr.
Is Fire Protection an AI-proof career?
Fire Protection has an average AI task exposure of 35%, rated "Resilient". This trade is resilient to AI disruption — most tasks require physical presence and human judgment.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.