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Fire marshal education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fire marshal. Fire marshals usually study fire science and protection, business, or criminal justice. 41% of fire marshals hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 665 real fire marshal resumes to see exactly what fire marshal education sections show.
The most common colleges for fire marshals are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online fire marshal courses to help get the education required to be a fire marshal.
There are certain fire marshal certifications that you should consider. These fire marshal certifications include Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) and Certified Fire Inspector II (CFI-II).
What education do you need to become a fire marshal?
What degree do you need to be a fire marshal?
- Bachelor's, 41%
- Associate, 33%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a fire marshal?
- Business, 13%
- Criminal Justice, 13%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for fire marshals
| Fire marshal common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 13.70% |
| Oklahoma State University | 8.22% |
| University of New Haven | 6.85% |
| SUNY Empire State College | 6.85% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.48% |
Best majors for fire marshals
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Science And Protection | 38.4% |
| 2 | Business | 12.6% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 12.6% |
| 4 | Medical Technician | 3.7% |
| 5 | Education | 3.4% |
Best colleges for fire marshals
The best colleges for fire marshals are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A fire marshal 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 marshals. 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 marshals.
1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$30,346
Enrollment
1,903
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
8. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
9. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Enrollment
24,163
20 best online courses for fire marshals
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire marshals
The most affordable schools for fire marshals are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for fire marshals 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 marshals.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. 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
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire marshals
The hardest universities for fire marshals to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for fire marshals 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 marshals 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
7. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
8. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire marshals
The easiest schools for fire marshals to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire marshal 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 marshals.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average fire marshal salary by education level
| Fire marshal education level | Fire marshal salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,556 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,922 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,799 |
Fire marshal 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