BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Fire Protection worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 21 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$188,126 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
5.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+80%Estimated return after 10 years
$87,428Observed earnings · year 4
$61,070Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $47,031 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$244,280
$14,000Current college-wide context+$188,280
$18,000Annual price+$172,280
$36,000Annual price+$100,280
$54,000Annual price+$28,280
$72,000Annual price−$43,720
$90,000Annual price−$115,720
Outcomes at a glance
$87,428Typical earnings four years after completion
$81,692Average earnings five years after completion
$22,723Typical federal student debt
85thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
5Degrees awarded in 2024–25
19College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Fire Protection
How much do Fire Protection bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $87,428 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $22,723. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Fire Protection?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $72,228 to $97,967 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Fire Protection?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 7 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,737
- Federal debt
- $9,557
- Programs in the comparison
- 38
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,375
- Federal debt
- $11,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 27
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,428
- Federal debt
- $22,723
- Programs in the comparison
- 21
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,656
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,917
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$72,228National median$87,42875th percentile$97,967
19 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Anna Maria College
$110,044 four years after completionPaxton, MA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Florida
$12,296 among completer borrowersGainesville, FL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classPurdue University Global
120 reported awards in 2024–25West Lafayette, IN · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$108,135Observed year-4 earnings$53,649
Anna Maria College$28,333 price · $110,044 earningsSouthern Illinois University-Carbondale$13,297 price · $108,135 earningsWaldorf University$19,693 price · $100,060 earningsOklahoma State University-Main Campus$17,447 price · $99,557 earningsColorado State University-Fort Collins$21,279 price · $98,019 earningsPurdue University Global$7,770 price · $97,967 earningsUniversity of Florida$6,541 price · $97,839 earningsUniversity of Florida-Online$4,815 price · $97,839 earningsColumbia Southern University$14,580 price · $88,735 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $87,428 earningsUtah Valley University$6,376 price · $83,807 earningsEastern Kentucky University$11,040 price · $80,497 earningsUniversity of New Haven$34,192 price · $79,199 earningsFayetteville State University$7,892 price · $73,969 earningsCUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice$3,203 price · $72,228 earningsUniversity of Akron Main Campus$13,946 price · $71,482 earningsNew Jersey City University$16,053 price · $69,444 earningsWestern Illinois University$12,937 price · $68,753 earningsMethodist University$24,704 price · $53,649 earnings
$3,203Annual college-wide average net price$28,333
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
21 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 21 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Anna Maria College$110,0442Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$108,1353Waldorf University$100,0604Oklahoma State University-Main Campus$99,5575Colorado State University-Fort Collins$98,0196Purdue University Global$97,9677University of Florida$97,8398University of Florida-Online$97,8399Columbia Southern University$88,73510American Public University System$87,428Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →15%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$93,530 median wage99,140 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 6,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$53,430–$140,010 typical wage rangeFirefighters$59,280 median wage345,990 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 26,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$34,910–$101,040 typical wage rangeFire Inspectors and Investigators$75,920 median wage13,800 jobs nationwide+4.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$46,530–$118,750 typical wage rangeForest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870 median wage2,780 jobs nationwide+13.1% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,420–$105,460 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$63,820 median wage114,110 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,960–$108,620 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.