by our College Data Analytics Team
[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their fire protection graduates go on to command.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying fire protection schools.
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If you want to know which schools send fire protection graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in fire protection, no school beat Santa Rosa Junior College this year. Located in the city of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Junior College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Santa Rosa Junior College earn a median of about $91,630 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Mt San Antonio College, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Mt San Antonio College make a median of around $86,031 per year.
Modesto Junior College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Modesto Junior College is a public school located in the city of Modesto. Early-career fire protection graduates from Modesto Junior College make a median of around $50,364 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Santa Ana College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Santa Ana, Santa Ana College is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $114,446.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Eastern Oregon University, which ranked #5. Located in the town of La Grande, Eastern Oregon University is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Eastern Oregon University typically earn about $58,911 annually.
California State University Los Angeles ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. California State University Los Angeles is a public school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career fire protection graduates from California State University Los Angeles make a median of around $68,683 per year.
Honolulu Community College came in at #7 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Honolulu Community College is a public school located in the city of Honolulu. Early-career fire protection graduates from Honolulu Community College make a median of around $37,817 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their fire protection graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.