Firefighter: where to study
Every U.S. school that awarded one of the 5 programs NCES links to this career in 2023-24, certificate to doctorate. A complete list, not a ranking.
NCES IPEDS
- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Find a school
Filter by state, program, award level and type of school. Each result links to the school's College Navigator profile (costs, admissions, graduation rates) and its own site.
Loading 375 schools…
Programs that lead to this career
The NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk links SOC 33-2011 to these programs. Awards in 2023-24, all levels, first majors. NCES
View source
| Program | CIP code | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services | 03.0208 | 224 |
| Fire Prevention and Safety Technology/Technician | 43.0201 | 3,350 |
| Fire Science/Fire-fighting | 43.0203 | 9,704 |
| Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation | 43.0206 | 88 |
| Fire Protection, Other | 43.0299 | 70 |
By award level: (awards, not schools).
Largest programs by awards
Size tells you where many students study, not which program is best for you.
| School | Location | Type | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | Orange Beach, AL | 4-year · Private for-profit | 613 |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA | 4-year · Public | 420 |
| Shasta College | Redding, CA | 4-year · Public | 287 |
| Utah Valley University | Orem, UT | 4-year · Public | 255 |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier, CA | 4-year · Public | 244 |
| Victor Valley College | Victorville, CA | 4-year · Public | 228 |
| Miami Dade College | Miami, FL | 4-year · Public | 219 |
| Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth, FL | 4-year · Public | 219 |
| Red Rocks Community College | Lakewood, CO | 4-year · Public | 202 |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford, FL | 4-year · Public | 177 |
Schools in each state
How many schools in each state awarded one of these programs in 2023-24. Each state page lists all of its schools with cost and completion.
- Alabama2 schools
- Alaska2 schools
- Arizona14 schools
- Arkansas2 schools
- California58 schools
- Colorado9 schools
- Connecticut1 school
- Florida35 schools
- Georgia7 schools
- Hawaii2 schools
- Idaho3 schools
- Illinois20 schools
- Indiana3 schools
- Iowa4 schools
- Kansas7 schools
- Kentucky11 schools
- Louisiana2 schools
- Maine6 schools
- Maryland3 schools
- Massachusetts10 schools
- Michigan10 schools
- Minnesota7 schools
- Mississippi2 schools
- Missouri5 schools
- Montana2 schools
- Nebraska1 school
- Nevada3 schools
- New Hampshire2 schools
- New Jersey8 schools
- New Mexico4 schools
- New York4 schools
- North Carolina18 schools
- Ohio27 schools
- Oklahoma9 schools
- Oregon9 schools
- Pennsylvania4 schools
- Rhode Island1 school
- South Carolina2 schools
- South Dakota1 school
- Tennessee2 schools
- Texas28 schools
- Utah4 schools
- Virginia2 schools
- Washington6 schools
- West Virginia1 school
- Wisconsin10 schools
- Wyoming1 school
Registered Apprenticeship
A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a model of apprenticeship validated by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency Linked from apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-occupations. Term lengths are hours of on-the-job learning; time-based programs list one figure, hybrid programs a range.USDOL
View sourceUSDOL
| Apprenticeship occupation (DOL title) | RAPIDS code | O*NET occupation | Term (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIRE APPARATUS ENGINEER | 0535 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Competency-Based 6000 Hybrid 6000–7500 Time-Based 6000 |
| FIRE ENGINEER | 0541 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Time-Based 2000 Competency-Based 2000 Hybrid 2000–2500 |
| FIRE FIGHTER | 0195 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Competency-Based 6000 Hybrid 6000–7500 Time-Based 6000 |
| FIRE FIGHTER DIVER | 1092 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Time-Based 7000 |
| FIRE FIGHTER PARAMEDIC | 1091 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Time-Based 8000 Competency-Based 8000 Hybrid 8000–10000 |
| FIRE FIGHTER SPECIALIST WILDLAND | 0544 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Time-Based 4000 Hybrid 3000–4000 |
| FIRE FIGHTER, CRASH, FIRE | 0192 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Time-Based 2000 Competency-Based 2000 Hybrid 2000–2500 |
| FIRE MEDIC | 0754 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Competency-Based 6000 Hybrid 6000–7500 Time-Based 6000 |
| FIRE SUPPRESSION TECHNICIAN | 1088 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Competency-Based 4000 Hybrid 4000–5000 Time-Based 4000 |
| Wildland Fire Fighter Specialist | 0544 | Firefighters (33-2011.00) | Competency-Based 3000 Hybrid 3000–4000 |
Search open apprenticeship jobs on Apprenticeship.gov · What a Registered Apprenticeship is
About this list
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A) · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- College Scorecard data, Most Recent Institution-Level file (release of 15 Oct 2026) · U.S. Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020, code file · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- Approved occupations for Registered Apprenticeship (spreadsheet: RAPIDS code, type, minimum term) · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (Apprenticeship.gov) checked 2026-10-21
- College Navigator · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-07