Overview of a Bachelor’s in Fire Science
The job market is slated to show a dramatic uptick in demand for firefighters in the foreseeable future. In response, colleges and universities have been putting more energy into developing programs for firefighters or students who wish to earn a fire science degree, such as a fire science bachelor’s degree. Completing an online or traditional fire science degree, you'll have the skills, knowledge, and credentials necessary to boost your firefighting career to the next level.
In your fire science program, whether it's online or in-person, you will learn more about how fires start, spread, and how to prevent the destruction they cause. Programs also feature courses that emphasize leadership and management functions, such as working with budgets and ethical concerns. Every course you take will inform your role in public health and safety. Below are some of the subjects you might study:
- Building Inspection - Hazardous Materials
- Fire Prevention and Fire Protection
- Wildfire Science
- Disaster Planning and Control
- Fire and Emergency Management - Fire Resource Management
- Fire and Emergency Services
- Emergency Medical Services
- Fire Administration
- And More
A fire science bachelor's degree is designed to impart knowledge related to firefighting. These degrees cover nearly every aspect of this vital social function including how fires start and spread, emergency management, and fire prevention. Fire fighters have not typically pursued an education in order to practice their profession. In fact, there were recently few if any programs for firefighters that were dedicated to their work. That has changed dramatically.
Now, current and future firefighters can further inform their career by pursuing degrees at all levels, including a full Fire Science Bachelor of Science. There are programs available both on traditional campuses and those that offer an online fire science degree, as well as programs that offer both approaches through hybrid programs, which have both online and in-person courses. Thus, you can use some of your time in the firehouse to pull out your laptop and work on your online fire science bachelor's degree. Once you graduate and add your new academic credentials to your resume, your career can take you all the way to the position of fire chief.
Top 25 Best Online Bachelors in Fire Science Programs
University of Florida-Online
Score: 85.83
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,876
- Out-of-State:$16,579
- Net Price: $10,791
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 79%
- Total Enrollment: 5,356
- Undergrad Students: 5,356
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 54:1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Score: 80.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,214
- Out-of-State:$21,876
- Net Price: $13,951
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 29,551
- Undergrad Students: 23,461
- Graduate Students: 6,090
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Score: 79.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,896
- Out-of-State:$33,751
- Net Price: $16,926
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 33,403
- Undergrad Students: 25,777
- Graduate Students: 7,626
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
American Public University System
Score: 78.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,400
- Out-of-State:$8,400
- Net Price: $11,172
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 48,668
- Undergrad Students: 39,206
- Graduate Students: 9,462
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
University of Cincinnati
Score: 78.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,570
- Out-of-State:$30,582
- Net Price: $20,149
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 72%
- Total Enrollment: 41,155
- Undergrad Students: 29,663
- Graduate Students: 11,492
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Western Illinois University
Score: 74.42
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,952
- Out-of-State:$14,952
- Net Price: $11,213
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 47%
- Total Enrollment: 7,643
- Undergrad Students: 5,309
- Graduate Students: 2,334
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Eastern New Mexico University
Score: 74.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,863
- Out-of-State:$8,843
- Net Price: $8,702
- Acceptance Rate: 28%
- Retention Rate: 62%
- Graduation Rate: 41%
- Total Enrollment: 5,106
- Undergrad Students: 3,833
- Graduate Students: 1,273
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Score: 73.31
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,244
- Out-of-State:$13,244
- Net Price: $16,990
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 11,107
- Undergrad Students: 8,000
- Graduate Students: 3,107
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Salem State University
Score: 73.3
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,978
- Out-of-State:$18,961
- Net Price: $19,277
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 6,539
- Undergrad Students: 5,078
- Graduate Students: 1,461
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Bowling Green State University
Score: 72.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,081
- Out-of-State:$22,070
- Net Price: $20,485
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 61%
- Total Enrollment: 16,920
- Undergrad Students: 13,853
- Graduate Students: 3,067
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Score: 71.94
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,370
- Out-of-State:$22,358
- Net Price: $12,973
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 15,058
- Undergrad Students: 12,026
- Graduate Students: 3,032
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Fayetteville State University
Score: 71.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,969
- Out-of-State:$7,969
- Net Price: $6,355
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 6,787
- Undergrad Students: 5,748
- Graduate Students: 1,039
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
St. Petersburg College
Score: 69.15
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $2,682
- Out-of-State:$9,286
- Net Price: $2,132
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 38%
- Total Enrollment: 23,501
- Undergrad Students: 23,501
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Saint Leo University
Score: 68.72
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,360
- Out-of-State:$28,360
- Net Price: $20,390
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 54%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 10,242
- Undergrad Students: 7,320
- Graduate Students: 2,922
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
New Jersey City University
Score: 67.89
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,971
- Out-of-State:$24,888
- Net Price: $19,252
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 39%
- Total Enrollment: 6,539
- Undergrad Students: 4,895
- Graduate Students: 1,644
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Score: 66.38
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,864
- Out-of-State:$19,652
- Net Price: $14,238
- Acceptance Rate: 98%
- Retention Rate: 61%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 9,389
- Undergrad Students: 8,405
- Graduate Students: 984
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Anna Maria College
Score: 65.93
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,064
- Out-of-State:$43,064
- Net Price: $23,894
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Retention Rate: 68%
- Graduation Rate: 40%
- Total Enrollment: 1,436
- Undergrad Students: 1,069
- Graduate Students: 367
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Eastern Oregon University
Score: 65.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,671
- Out-of-State:$24,621
- Net Price: $15,234
- Acceptance Rate: 99%
- Retention Rate: 68%
- Graduation Rate: 38%
- Total Enrollment: 2,674
- Undergrad Students: 2,415
- Graduate Students: 259
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Columbia Southern University
Score: 64.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,808
- Out-of-State:$5,808
- Net Price: $12,366
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 42%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 15,948
- Undergrad Students: 11,330
- Graduate Students: 4,618
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 28:1
Liberty University
Score: 64.09
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $21,222
- Out-of-State:$21,222
- Net Price: $29,913
- Acceptance Rate: 99%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 66%
- Total Enrollment: 96,709
- Undergrad Students: 48,906
- Graduate Students: 47,803
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Purdue Global
Score: 63.92
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,110
- Out-of-State:$14,421
- Net Price: $6,785
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 17%
- Graduation Rate: 20%
- Total Enrollment: 45,125
- Undergrad Students: 33,510
- Graduate Students: 11,615
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 26:1
College of Southern Nevada
Score: 56.78
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,110
- Out-of-State:$12,209
- Net Price: $7,685
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 17%
- Total Enrollment: 28,901
- Undergrad Students: 28,901
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $55,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Score: 32.29
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,548
- Out-of-State:$23,124
- Net Price: $11,043
- Acceptance Rate: 96%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 31%
- Total Enrollment: 7,309
- Undergrad Students: 6,616
- Graduate Students: 693
- Grads Salary: N/A
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Waldorf University
Score: 27.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $25,220
- Out-of-State:$25,220
- Net Price: $18,620
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 26%
- Total Enrollment: 2,763
- Undergrad Students: 2,295
- Graduate Students: 468
- Grads Salary: N/A
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
