Fire code inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire code inspector. Fire code inspectors usually study fire science and protection, management, or liberal arts. 41% of fire code inspectors hold a associate degree, and 29% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 30 real fire code inspector resumes to see exactly what fire code inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire code inspectors are the West Virginia University and the West Virginia University.

There are also many online fire code inspector courses to help get the education required to be a fire code inspector.

What education do you need to become a fire code inspector?

What degree do you need to be a fire code inspector?

The most common degree for fire code inspectors is associate degree, with 41% of fire code inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 24%.

Associate, 41%

High School Diploma, 29%

Bachelor's, 24%

Diploma, 6%

What should I major in to become a fire code inspector?

You should major in fire science and protection to become a fire code inspector. 22% of fire code inspectors major in fire science and protection. Other common majors for a fire code inspector include management and liberal arts.

Fire Science And Protection, 22%

Management, 17%

Liberal Arts, 11%

Hospitality Management, 6%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for fire code inspectors

Fire code inspectors often get their degrees at West Virginia University, Western Washington University, and New Mexico State University. Here are the most common colleges for fire code inspectors in the US based on their resumes.

Fire code inspector common college	Percentages
West Virginia University	15.38%
Western Washington University	7.69%
New Mexico State University	7.69%
Temple University	7.69%
South College	7.69%

Show more common fire code inspector colleges

Best majors for fire code inspectors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Fire Science And Protection	22.2%
2	Management	16.7%
3	Liberal Arts	11.1%
4	Hospitality Management	5.6%
5	Business	5.6%

Show more common fire code inspector majors

Best colleges for fire code inspectors

The best colleges for fire code inspectors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A fire code inspector 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 code inspectors. 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 code inspectors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for fire code inspectors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire code inspectors

The most affordable schools for fire code inspectors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.

If the best universities for fire code inspectors 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 code inspectors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire code inspectors

The hardest universities for fire code inspectors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for fire code inspectors 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 code inspectors 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire code inspectors

The easiest schools for fire code inspectors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire code inspector 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 code inspectors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average fire code inspector salary by education level

According to our data, fire code inspectors with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,028 annually. Fire code inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,052.

Fire code inspector education level	Fire code inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less	$49,376
Bachelor's Degree	$53,052
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,028

Fire code inspector education FAQs

What is the best college for Fire Code Inspectors?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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