Fire prevention officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire prevention officer. Fire prevention officers usually study criminal justice, business, or fire science and protection. 35% of fire prevention officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 505 real fire prevention officer resumes to see exactly what fire prevention officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire prevention officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a fire prevention officer?

What degree do you need to be a fire prevention officer?

The most common degree for fire prevention officers is bachelor's degree, with 35% of fire prevention officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 35%

Associate, 25%

High School Diploma, 18%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 14%

What should I major in to become a fire prevention officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a fire prevention officer. 23% of fire prevention officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a fire prevention officer include business and fire science and protection.

Criminal Justice, 23%

Business, 15%

Fire Science And Protection, 13%

General Studies, 7%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for fire prevention officers

Fire prevention officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami Dade College, and Columbia Southern University. Here are the most common colleges for fire prevention officers in the US based on their resumes.

Fire prevention officer common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.69%
Miami Dade College	7.84%
Columbia Southern University	7.84%
Excelsior College	5.88%
Illinois State University	3.92%

Show more common fire prevention officer colleges

Best majors for fire prevention officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	23.1%
2	Business	15.4%
3	Fire Science And Protection	13.0%
4	General Studies	7.1%
5	Psychology	3.6%

Show more common fire prevention officer majors

Best colleges for fire prevention officers

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

A fire prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire prevention officers

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

If the best universities for fire prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention officers

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

Some great schools for fire prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention officers

The easiest schools for fire prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention 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 prevention officer salary by education level

Fire prevention officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $49,830 annually. With a Associate degree, fire prevention officers earn a median annual income of $41,059 compared to $35,663 for fire prevention officers with an High School Diploma degree.

Fire prevention officer education level	Fire prevention officer salary
High School Diploma or Less	$35,663
Bachelor's Degree	$49,830
Some College/ Associate Degree	$41,059

Fire prevention officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Fire Prevention 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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