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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 21 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.
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools in the Southeast Region. Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $99,745.
Strong graduate earnings at Miami Dade College earned it the #2 place for fire protection. Set in the city of Miami, Miami Dade College is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $99,859.
University Of Florida Online came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida Online is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $86,740.
Columbia Southern University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in fire protection, landing the #4 spot this year. Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach. Fire Protection graduates of Columbia Southern University earn a median of about $85,101 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in fire protection will find them at Hillsborough Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College is a public institution. Fire Protection graduates of Hillsborough Community College earn a median of about $68,028 a year early in their careers.
St Petersburg College came in at #6 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. St Petersburg College is a public school located in the city of St. Petersburg. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $87,235.
Louisiana State University Eunice landed the #7 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Located in the town of Eunice, Louisiana State University Eunice is a public institution. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,875.
Palm Beach State College placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Located in the suburb of Lake Worth, Palm Beach State College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Palm Beach State College typically earn about $68,973 annually.
Fayetteville State University came in at #9 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Fayetteville State University is a public school located in the city of Fayetteville. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Fayetteville State University typically earn about $81,600 annually.
Northwest Florida State College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Northwest Florida State College is a public school located in the suburb of Niceville. Fire Protection graduates of Northwest Florida State College earn a median of about $52,856 a year early in their careers.
Albany Technical College earned the #11 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Albany Technical College is a public school located in the city of Albany. Early-career fire protection graduates from Albany Technical College make a median of around $51,840 per year.
American Public University System earned the #12 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a private for-profit institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from American Public University System make a median of around $71,613 per year.
Eastern Kentucky University placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. Eastern Kentucky University is a public school located in the town of Richmond. Fire Protection graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of about $75,018 a year early in their careers.
Florida State College At Jacksonville ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying fire protection schools. Set in the city of Jacksonville, Florida State College At Jacksonville is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Florida State College At Jacksonville typically earn about $49,810 annually.
Indian River State College landed the #15 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Fort Pierce, Indian River State College is a public institution. Early-career fire protection graduates from Indian River State College make a median of around $53,809 per year.
Daytona State College earned the #16 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Daytona Beach, Daytona State College is a public institution. After graduating, fire protection degree recipients from Daytona State College typically earn about $52,443 annually.
George Stone Technical Center placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for fire protection. George Stone Technical Center is a public school located in the suburb of Pensacola. Early-career fire protection graduates from George Stone Technical Center make a median of around $39,560 per year.
Marion Technical College Ocala landed the #18 spot for fire protection salaries this year. Marion Technical College Ocala is a public school located in the city of Ocala. Early-career fire protection graduates from Marion Technical College Ocala make a median of around $37,678 per year.
Valencia College earned the #19 position for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Valencia College is a public school located in the city of Orlando. Students who complete the fire protection program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,657.
Lake Technical College came in at #20 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Lake Technical College is a public school located in the suburb of Eustis. Fire Protection graduates of Lake Technical College earn a median of about $33,942 a year early in their careers.
Methodist University came in at #21 for fire protection graduate earnings this year. Methodist University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fayetteville. Fire Protection graduates of Methodist University earn a median of about $30,637 a year early in their careers.
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 · 21 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.