2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Kansas

[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for fire protection students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Kansas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the fire protection degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Fire Protection Schools
For return on investment in fire protection, no school beat Hutchinson Community College this year. Hutchinson Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Hutchinson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,540, while out-of-state students pay about $4,770. Students borrow a median of $18,148 to complete the fire protection program here. Early-career fire protection graduates make about $51,007. Set against $18,148 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johnson County Community College earned it the #2 place for fire protection. Located in the city of Overland Park, Johnson County Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,424, while out-of-state students pay about $5,688. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $13,532 in student loans. Early-career fire protection graduates make about $46,473. That is a strong return on a $13,532 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Kansas City Kansas Community College one of the best values for fire protection. Located in the city of Kansas City, Kansas City Kansas Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,996, with out-of-state students paying around $6,482. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $13,129 in student loans. Fire Protection graduates of Kansas City Kansas Community College earn a median of $43,216 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Fire Protection Rankings
View All Fire Protection Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.