Fire engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire engineer. Fire engineers usually study fire science and protection, mechanical engineering, or medical technician. 40% of fire engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 188 real fire engineer resumes to see exactly what fire engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire engineers are the Warren Wilson College and the Warren Wilson College.

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

What education do you need to become a fire engineer?

What degree do you need to be a fire engineer?

The most common degree for fire engineers is bachelor's degree, with 40% of fire engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 35% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 40%

Associate, 35%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a fire engineer?

You should major in fire science and protection to become a fire engineer. 37% of fire engineers major in fire science and protection. Other common majors for a fire engineer include mechanical engineering and medical technician.

Fire Science And Protection, 37%

Mechanical Engineering, 7%

Medical Technician, 6%

Criminal Justice, 6%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for fire engineers

Fire engineers often get their degrees at Warren Wilson College, Coastal Carolina University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for fire engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Fire engineer common college	Percentages
Warren Wilson College	7.41%
Coastal Carolina University	7.41%
Arizona State University	7.41%
Illinois Institute of Technology	7.41%
Columbia Southern University	7.41%

Show more common fire engineer colleges

Best majors for fire engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Fire Science And Protection	36.8%
2	Mechanical Engineering	7.4%
3	Medical Technician	6.3%
4	Criminal Justice	6.3%
5	Education	5.3%

Show more common fire engineer majors

Best colleges for fire engineers

The best colleges for fire engineers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Florida.

A fire engineer 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 engineers. 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 engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

2. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

3. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$7,621

Enrollment

10,749

4. Lewis University

Romeoville, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$32,450

Enrollment

4,217

5. Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$12,951

Enrollment

6,754

6. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$6,853

Enrollment

23,939

7. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

8. Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,895

Enrollment

1,873

9. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Enrollment

3,347

10. Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$9,019

Enrollment

20,323

20 best online courses for fire engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire engineers

The most affordable schools for fire engineers are University of Florida, brigham young university, and john jay college of criminal justice of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for fire engineers 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 engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

4. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

9. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

10. Maine College of Health Professions

Lewiston, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$12,245

Cost of attendance

18,826

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire engineers

The hardest universities for fire engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Florida.

Some great schools for fire engineers 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 engineers 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. Providence College

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,294

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire engineers

The easiest schools for fire engineers to get into are AdventHealth University, life university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire engineer 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 engineers.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average fire engineer salary by education level

Fire engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $96,769 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, fire engineers earn a median annual income of $86,054 compared to $72,399 for fire engineers with an Associate degree.

Fire engineer education level	Fire engineer salary
Master's Degree	$96,769
Bachelor's Degree	$86,054
Some College/ Associate Degree	$72,399

Fire engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Fire Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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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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