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Station captain education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a station captain. Station captains usually study fire science and protection, business, or management. 45% of station captains hold a associate degree, and 34% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 233 real station captain resumes to see exactly what station captain education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a station captain?

What degree do you need to be a station captain?

The most common degree for station captains is associate degree, with 45% of station captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 34% and bachelor's degree degree at 9%.
  • Associate, 45%
  • Bachelor's, 34%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a station captain?

You should major in fire science and protection to become a station captain. 47% of station captains major in fire science and protection. Other common majors for a station captain include business and management.

Most common colleges for station captains

Station captains often get their degrees at Columbia Southern University, Texas A&M; University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for station captains in the US based on their resumes.
Station captain common collegePercentages
Columbia Southern University12.50%
Texas A&M University9.38%
University of Maryland - College Park9.38%
Western Washington University6.25%
University of Cincinnati6.25%

Best majors for station captains

RankMajorPercentages
1Fire Science And Protection47.4%
2Business10.5%
3Management5.3%
4Homeland Security3.5%
5Biology2.6%

Best colleges for station captains

The best colleges for station captains are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A station 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 station 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 station captains.

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 station captains

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20. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

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OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

Top 10 most affordable universities for station captains

The most affordable schools for station captains are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for station 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 station captains.

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 station captains

The hardest universities for station captains to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for station 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 station 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. 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 station captains

The easiest schools for station captains 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 station 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 station captains.

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 station captain salary by education level

Station captains with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $64,420 annually. With a Associate degree, station captains earn a median annual income of $57,062 compared to $52,243 for station captains with an High School Diploma degree.
Station captain education levelStation captain salary
High School Diploma or Less$52,243
Bachelor's Degree$64,420
Some College/ Associate Degree$57,062

Station 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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