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Fire official education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fire official. Fire officials usually study business, fire science and protection, or architectural technology. 38% of fire officials hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 13 real fire official resumes to see exactly what fire official education sections show.
The most common colleges for fire officials are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
There are also many online fire official courses to help get the education required to be a fire official.
What education do you need to become a fire official?
What degree do you need to be a fire official?
- Associate, 38%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a fire official?
- Business, 22%
- General Sales, 11%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for fire officials
| Fire official common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 25.00% |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 25.00% |
| St. Bonaventure University | 25.00% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | 25.00% |
Best majors for fire officials
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.2% |
| 2 | Fire Science And Protection | 22.2% |
| 3 | Architectural Technology | 11.1% |
| 4 | General Sales | 11.1% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 11.1% |
Best colleges for fire officials
The best colleges for fire officials are Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University in St Louis, and Boston University.
A fire official 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 officials. 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 officials.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
5. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
6. University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$15,887
Enrollment
23,202
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for fire officials
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire officials
The most affordable schools for fire officials are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for fire officials 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 officials.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire officials
The hardest universities for fire officials to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University in St Louis, and Boston University.
Some great schools for fire officials 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 officials 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire officials
The easiest schools for fire officials to get into are Curry College, la roche college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire official 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 officials.
1. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
2. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
9. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average fire official salary by education level
| Fire official education level | Fire official salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,014 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,163 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $55,269 |
Fire official 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