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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection

20 Ranked Colleges
1,477 Degrees Awarded
$27,000 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Fire Protection is the 118th most popular major in the country with 13,766 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, fire protection graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $53,963 and had an average of $19,479 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,477 fire protection graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,092 and $9,988 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fire protection. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fire protection programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the fire protection program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Fire Protection Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Fire Protection Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The fire protection school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection”.

Top 20 Best Fire Protection Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 16 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, OSU supports 24,535 students, and 1,038 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 439 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,226. During this same period, 39 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. OSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus]](/colleges/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

2
San Antonio College crest
San Antonio College
San Antonio, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Antonio College. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s fire protection students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Antonio College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, San Antonio College supports 19,231 students, and 2,054 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,362 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,249. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

3
Yavapai College crest
Yavapai College
Prescott, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yavapai College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection. Yavapai College is located in Prescott, Arizona and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s fire protection degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yavapai College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 257 of the 6,009 students enrolled at Yavapai College were GI Bill® students, of which 166 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,293. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Yavapai College]](/colleges/yavapai-college/student-life/veterans/)

4
North Harris Montgomery crest
Lone Star College System
The Woodlands, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lone Star College System. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. Located in The Woodlands, Texas, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s fire protection students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying fire protection list, North Harris Montgomery has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 70,109 students enrolled at Lone Star College System, 1,932 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,202 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,042. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Lone Star College System Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Community College District. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fire protection degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

Austin Community College District also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Austin Community College District supports 39,896 students, and 2,473 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 59 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $735. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Austin Community College District offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Austin Community College District]](/colleges/austin-community-college-district/student-life/veterans/)

6

Tarrant County College District ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. Tarrant County College is a large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 67 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying fire protection list, Tarrant County College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Tarrant County College District supports 43,000 students, and 1,862 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,172 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,319. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tarrant County College District offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Tarrant County College Veteran Student Life Report

7

El Paso Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. El Paso Community College is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 45 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at El Paso Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,034 students enrolled at El Paso Community College, 1,324 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 511 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,459. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at El Paso Community College]](/colleges/el-paso-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

8

Central New Mexico Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking, coming in at #8. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s fire protection degrees to qualified students.

CNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 21,398 students enrolled at Central New Mexico Community College, 839 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,171. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Central New Mexico Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

9

Houston Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking, coming in at #9. Houston Community College is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Houston Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 48,329 students enrolled at Houston Community College, 1,421 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 783 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,632. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Houston Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

10
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona

Pima Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. This fairly large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 29 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

Pima County Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Pima Community College supports 15,544 students, and 853 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 426 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,036. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Pima Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Pima County Community College District]](/colleges/pima-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

11
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. South Texas College is a large public school situated in McAllen, Texas. It awarded 20 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

South Texas College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 28,233 students enrolled at South Texas College, 532 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 193 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,731. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. South Texas College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

12

Tyler Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking, coming in at #12. Tyler Junior College is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s fire protection degrees to qualified students.

Tyler Junior College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Tyler Junior College supports 11,749 students, and 416 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 173 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,366. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tyler Junior College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

13

Glendale Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. Located in Glendale, Arizona, this fairly large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified ’s fire protection students in 2020-2021.

Glendale Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 14,374 students enrolled at Glendale Community College, 637 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 418 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,071. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Glendale Community College Veteran Student Life Report

14
COM crest
College of the Mainland
Texas City, Texas

College of the Mainland did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Texas City, Texas, and it awarded 65 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

COM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 4,335 students enrolled at COM, 118 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,327. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. COM offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at College of the Mainland]](/colleges/college-of-the-mainland/student-life/veterans/)

15
South Plains College crest
South Plains College
Levelland, Texas

With a ranking of #15, South Plains College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. Located in Levelland, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s fire protection students in 2020-2021.

South Plains College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 8,880 students enrolled at South Plains College, 284 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,097. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. South Plains College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

16

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. New Mexico State University - Dona Ana is a medium-sized public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 13 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

NMSU Dona Ana also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 7,028 students enrolled at New Mexico State University - Dona Ana, 288 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 164 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,016. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

17

With a ranking of #17, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. OSU-OKC is a small public school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 8 ’s fire protection degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU-OKC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,949 students enrolled at Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City, 54 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 77 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,563. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City]](/colleges/oklahoma-state-university-oklahoma-city/student-life/veterans/)

18

Cochise County Community College District ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection list. Cochise College is a public institution located in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cochise College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Cochise County Community College District supports 3,327 students, and 351 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 214 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,216. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cochise County Community College District offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cochise College Veteran Student Life Report

19

Trinity Valley Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. Athens, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fire protection degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TVCC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, TVCC supports 5,600 students, and 116 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 54 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,871. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full TVCC Veteran Student Life Report

20
Blinn College crest
Blinn College
Brenham, Texas

Blinn College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Fire Protection ranking. Brenham, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fire protection degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Blinn College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 604 of the 18,220 students enrolled at Blinn College were GI Bill® students, of which 249 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,910. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Blinn College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Blinn College Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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