2027 Best Fire Protection Schools in North Carolina
Fire Protection degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for fire protection students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Fire Protection in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall fire protection education in North Carolina.
Top Schools in Fire Protection
No school ranked higher than Fayetteville State University this year for fire protection. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Fayetteville State University graduates 38% of students within six years. About 27 fire protection degrees were awarded at Fayetteville State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the fire protection program make about $67,586 in their early career. Fayetteville State University graduates carry a median of $15,777 in student loans.
Read more about the fire protection program at Fayetteville State University
Students looking for a strong fire protection program will find one at Catawba Valley Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Hickory, Catawba Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 15 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at Catawba Valley Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Catawba Valley Community College generally make around $38,219. Students borrow a median of $9,842 to complete this degree.
See the full fire protection program report for Catawba Valley Community College
Rowan Cabarrus Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in fire protection, landing the #3 spot this year. Rowan Cabarrus Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Salisbury. There were roughly 25 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at Rowan Cabarrus Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the fire protection program make about $34,351 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $10,867 to complete this degree.
Get the full fire protection details for Rowan Cabarrus Community College
Guilford Technical Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in fire protection, ranking #4. Guilford Technical Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Jamestown. Guilford Technical Community College awarded about 14 fire protection degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Guilford Technical Community College generally make around $36,124. Guilford Technical Community College graduates carry a median of $20,501 in student loans.
More information about a degree in fire protection from Guilford Technical Community College
A rank of #5 makes Sandhills Community College one of the top schools for fire protection. This moderately-sized public university is located in the rural area of Pinehurst. About 31 fire protection degrees were awarded at Sandhills Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the fire protection program make about $46,492 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $9,238.
Read more about the fire protection program at Sandhills Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College came in at #6 for fire protection this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Jacksonville. There were roughly 21 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at Coastal Carolina Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Coastal Carolina Community College generally make around $37,831. Students borrow a median of $7,125 to complete this degree.
Read more about the fire protection program at Coastal Carolina Community College
Alamance Community College placed #7 among the best fire protection schools. Set in the suburb of Graham, Alamance Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. About 18 fire protection degrees were awarded at Alamance Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the fire protection program make about $37,585 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $6,625.
Get the full fire protection details for Alamance Community College
Cleveland Community College placed #8 among the best fire protection schools. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Shelby. Cleveland Community College awarded about 17 fire protection degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire protection degree from Cleveland Community College earn around $39,891 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $7,131 to complete this degree.
Read more about the fire protection program at Cleveland Community College
Randolph Community College placed #9 among the best fire protection schools. Randolph Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Asheboro. About 12 fire protection degrees were awarded at Randolph Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the fire protection program make about $32,198 in their early career.
Get the full fire protection details for Randolph Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College placed #10 among the best fire protection schools. This large public university is located in the city of Fayetteville. Fayetteville Technical Community College awarded about 33 fire protection degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Fayetteville Technical Community College generally make around $40,584. Typical student debt for the program is $16,909.
More information about a degree in fire protection from Fayetteville Technical Community College
More Fire Protection Rankings
View All Fire Protection Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
