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Fire captain education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fire captain. Fire captains usually study fire science and protection, business, or medical technician. 41% of fire captains hold a associate degree, and 34% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 926 real fire captain resumes to see exactly what fire captain education sections show.
The most common colleges for fire captains are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online fire captain courses to help get the education required to be a fire captain.
What education do you need to become a fire captain?
What degree do you need to be a fire captain?
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a fire captain?
- Business, 12%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for fire captains
| Fire captain common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 26.83% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.54% |
| Texas A&M University | 4.88% |
| Pikes Peak Community College | 4.88% |
| Bakersfield College | 4.88% |
Best majors for fire captains
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Science And Protection | 46.8% |
| 2 | Business | 11.9% |
| 3 | Medical Technician | 8.7% |
| 4 | Management | 5.5% |
| 5 | General Studies | 3.4% |
Best colleges for fire captains
The best colleges for fire captains are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
A fire captain with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for fire captains. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become fire captains.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$30,346
Enrollment
1,903
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$13,006
Enrollment
22,653
9. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
10. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
20 best online courses for fire captains
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire captains
The most affordable schools for fire captains are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for fire captains are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for fire captains.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire captains
The hardest universities for fire captains to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for fire captains are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for fire captains based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,362
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire captains
The easiest schools for fire captains to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire captain without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for fire captains.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
5. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average fire captain salary by education level
| Fire captain education level | Fire captain salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,838 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,808 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,574 |
Fire captain education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025