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2025 Best Fire Protection Schools in Illinois

5 Colleges in Illinois
596 Fire Protection Degrees Awarded
$57,073 Avg Early-Career Salary
Fire Protection is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #118 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for fire protection students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 596 degrees in fire protection to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fire Protection School

Best Fire Protection Schools in Illinois Your choice of fire protection school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Fire Protection School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Fire Protection Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Fire Protection
Bachelor's Degrees in Fire Protection
Master's Degrees in Fire Protection

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fire Protection Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fire Protection in Illinois

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the fire protection degree levels they offer.

Top Illinois Schools in Fire Protection

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Fire Protection Degrees Awarded
$104,017 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Southern Illinois University Carbondale if you wish to pursue a degree in fire protection. Located in the town of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 61 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fire protection program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn $46,944 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fire protection from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL

William Rainey Harper College is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in fire protection. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #640 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harper College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 14 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fire protection from William Rainey Harper College

3
MCC crest
McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
46 Fire Protection Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in fire protection has to take a look at McHenry County College. Located in the rural area of Crystal Lake, MCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 60th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 46 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at MCC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fire protection from McHenry County College

4
COD crest
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL

College of DuPage is a great option for students pursuing a degree in fire protection. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, COD is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #731 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means COD is a great college overall.

There were approximately 23 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at COD in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in fire protection from College of DuPage

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$41,432 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 14 fire protection students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fire protection program report average early career income of $41,432.

More information about a degree in fire protection from Western Illinois University

Best Fire Protection Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Fire Protection Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 50
Ohio 314 135
Indiana 294 292
Wisconsin 273 88

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting area of study, Fire Protection has other similar majors worth exploring.

Fire Protection Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Fire Science 433
Fire Services Administration 86
Fire Prevention & Safety Technology/Technician 77

View All Fire Protection Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Fire Protection

Related Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice & Corrections 2,510
Security Science and Technology 100
Homeland Security 39
Other Homeland Security 1

View All Fire Protection Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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