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Fire protection specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fire protection specialist. Fire protection specialists usually study fire science and protection, business, or criminal justice. 38% of fire protection specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 37% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 494 real fire protection specialist resumes to see exactly what fire protection specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for fire protection specialists are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online fire protection specialist courses to help get the education required to be a fire protection specialist.
There are certain fire protection specialist certifications that you should consider. These fire protection specialist certifications include Certified Fire Inspector I and Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).
What education do you need to become a fire protection specialist?
What degree do you need to be a fire protection specialist?
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Associate, 37%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a fire protection specialist?
- Business, 14%
- Criminal Justice, 7%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for fire protection specialists
| Fire protection specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 19.61% |
| Oklahoma State University | 9.80% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 9.80% |
| University of Akron | 5.88% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.88% |
Best majors for fire protection specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Science And Protection | 38.8% |
| 2 | Business | 14.2% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.8% |
| 4 | General Studies | 5.9% |
| 5 | Management | 3.2% |
Best colleges for fire protection specialists
The best colleges for fire protection specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A fire protection specialist 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 protection specialists. 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 protection specialists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$30,346
Enrollment
1,903
6. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$13,006
Enrollment
22,653
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
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. Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$31,450
Enrollment
3,170
20 best online courses for fire protection specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire protection specialists
The most affordable schools for fire protection specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for fire protection specialists 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 protection specialists.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire protection specialists
The hardest universities for fire protection specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for fire protection specialists 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 protection specialists 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire protection specialists
The easiest schools for fire protection specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire protection specialist 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 protection specialists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average fire protection specialist salary by education level
| Fire protection specialist education level | Fire protection specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,013 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,858 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,605 |
Fire protection specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025