Fire officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire officer. Fire officers usually study criminal justice, business, or fire science and protection. 73% of fire officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,041 real fire officer resumes to see exactly what fire officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire officers are the United States Military Academy and the United States Military Academy.

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

There are certain fire officer certifications that you should consider. These fire officer certifications include Certified Fire Inspector I and OSHA Safety Certificate .

What education do you need to become a fire officer?

What degree do you need to be a fire officer?

The most common degree for fire officers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of fire officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a fire officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a fire officer. 15% of fire officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a fire officer include business and fire science and protection.

Criminal Justice, 15%

Business, 14%

Fire Science And Protection, 12%

Political Science, 11%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for fire officers

Fire officers often get their degrees at United States Military Academy, Webster University, and University of South Carolina - Columbia. Here are the most common colleges for fire officers in the US based on their resumes.

Fire officer common college	Percentages
United States Military Academy	32.69%
Webster University	7.05%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	5.77%
The Citadel	5.77%
Virginia Military Institute	5.13%

Show more common fire officer colleges

Best majors for fire officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	15.4%
2	Business	14.5%
3	Fire Science And Protection	12.4%
4	Political Science	11.3%
5	Management	6.8%

Show more common fire officer majors

Best colleges for fire officers

The best colleges for fire officers are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A fire officer 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 officers. 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 officers.

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 officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire officers

The most affordable schools for fire officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for fire officers 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 officers.

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 officers

The hardest universities for fire officers to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for fire officers 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 officers 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

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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 officers

The easiest schools for fire officers 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 officer 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 officers.

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 officer salary by education level

According to our data, fire officers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,241 annually. Fire officers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $54,395.

Fire officer education level	Fire officer salary
High School Diploma or Less	$49,315
Bachelor's Degree	$62,241
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,395

Fire officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Fire Officers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service 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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