by our College Data Analytics Team
[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a fire protection degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find where fire protection graduates earn the most.
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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 Southern Illinois University Carbondale this year. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of about $104,017 a year early in their careers.
Cincinnati State Technical And Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earn a median of about $91,944 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Southwestern Illinois College, which ranked #3. Southwestern Illinois College is a public school located in the suburb of Belleville. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Southwestern Illinois College typically earn about $71,691 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Purdue University Global, which ranked #4. Purdue University Global is a public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $85,892.
Mahoning County Career And Technical Center came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the suburb of Canfield, Mahoning County Career And Technical Center is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Mahoning County Career And Technical Center make a median of around $58,623 per year.
Sinclair Community College earned the #6 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of about $57,887 a year early in their careers.
Fox Valley Technical College earned the #7 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Appleton, Fox Valley Technical College is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $76,568.
Lake Superior State University landed the #8 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Lake Superior State University is a public school located in the town of Sault Ste Marie. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,097.
Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the #9 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Fire Protection graduates of Milwaukee Area Technical College earn a median of about $68,608 a year early in their careers.
Butler Tech D Russel Lee Career Center placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Butler Tech D Russel Lee Career Center is a public school located in the suburb of Monroe. Early-career fire protection graduates from Butler Tech D Russel Lee Career Center make a median of around $47,379 per year.
College Of Dupage earned the #11 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. College Of Dupage is a public school located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn. Early-career fire protection graduates from College Of Dupage make a median of around $58,160 per year.
Elgin Community College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,377.
Oakland Community College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Oakland Community College typically earn about $44,178 annually.
Great Oaks Career Campuses came in at #14 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Cincinnati, Great Oaks Career Campuses is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,349.
University Of Akron Main Campus ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. University Of Akron Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Akron. Early-career fire protection graduates from University Of Akron Main Campus make a median of around $62,850 per year.
Western Illinois University landed the #16 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Western Illinois University typically earn about $41,432 annually.
Vincennes University earned the #17 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Vincennes University typically earn about $46,614 annually.
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 · 17 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.