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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their fire protection graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose fire protection graduates go on to earn the most.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools in Illinois. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale typically earn about $104,017 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Southwestern Illinois College, which ranked #2. Southwestern Illinois College is a public school located in the suburb of Belleville. Fire Protection graduates of Southwestern Illinois College earn a median of about $71,691 a year early in their careers.
College Of Dupage produces some of the highest-paid graduates in fire protection, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from College Of Dupage typically earn about $58,160 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Elgin Community College one of the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Elgin Community College earn a median of about $56,377 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Western Illinois University earned it the #5 place for fire protection. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Western Illinois University make a median of around $41,432 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries fire protection graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 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.