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Fire suppression captain education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a fire suppression captain. Fire suppression captains usually study fire science and protection, medical technician, or criminal justice. 44% of fire suppression captains hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 29 real fire suppression captain resumes to see exactly what fire suppression captain education sections show.

The most common colleges for fire suppression captains are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.

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

What education do you need to become a fire suppression captain?

What degree do you need to be a fire suppression captain?

The most common degree for fire suppression captains is associate degree, with 44% of fire suppression captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 19%.
  • Associate, 44%
  • Bachelor's, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 19%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a fire suppression captain?

You should major in fire science and protection to become a fire suppression captain. 29% of fire suppression captains major in fire science and protection. Other common majors for a fire suppression captain include medical technician and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for fire suppression captains

Fire suppression captains often get their degrees at Columbia Southern University, Indiana University South Bend, and Santa Ana College. Here are the most common colleges for fire suppression captains in the US based on their resumes.
Fire suppression captain common collegePercentages
Columbia Southern University25.00%
Indiana University South Bend12.50%
Santa Ana College12.50%
The University of Montana12.50%
University of Houston - Downtown12.50%

Best majors for fire suppression captains

Best colleges for fire suppression captains

The best colleges for fire suppression captains are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A fire suppression captain 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 suppression captains. 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 suppression captains.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for fire suppression captains

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Top 10 most affordable universities for fire suppression captains

The most affordable schools for fire suppression captains are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for fire suppression captains 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 suppression captains.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fire suppression captains

The hardest universities for fire suppression captains to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for fire suppression captains 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 suppression captains 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fire suppression captains

The easiest schools for fire suppression captains to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fire suppression captain 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 suppression captains.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average fire suppression captain salary by education level

According to our data, fire suppression captains with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,976 annually. Fire suppression captains with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $55,997.
Fire suppression captain education levelFire suppression captain salary
High School Diploma or Less$51,410
Bachelor's Degree$62,976
Some College/ Associate Degree$55,997

Fire suppression captain education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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