Fire Protection: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 27 reporting college programs.
+$176,412 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
Observed national outcomes
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,737
- Federal debt
- $9,557
- Reporting programs
- 38
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,375
- Federal debt
- $11,250
- Reporting programs
- 27
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,428
- Federal debt
- $22,723
- Reporting programs
- 21
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,656
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,917
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cincinnati State Technical and Community College$103,3022Central Oregon Community College$96,4943Waldorf University$90,6024College of DuPage$89,9915Columbia Southern University$88,1146North Shore Community College$87,7317Blinn College District$81,5568Purdue University Global$81,2599Utah Valley University$78,43610American Public University System$77,650Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $103,302 | $6,125 | +483% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Central Oregon Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bend, OR | $96,494 | Not available | +350% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Waldorf UniversityAssociate's Degree | Forest City, IA | $90,602 | $12,609 | +252% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | College of DuPageAssociate's Degree | Glen Ellyn, IL | $89,991 | Not available | +329% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Columbia Southern UniversityAssociate's Degree | Orange Beach, AL | $88,114 | $10,500 | +262% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | North Shore Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Danvers, MA | $87,731 | $10,192 | +296% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Blinn College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Brenham, TX | $81,556 | Not available | +227% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Purdue University GlobalAssociate's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $81,259 | $21,244 | +244% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Utah Valley UniversityAssociate's Degree | Orem, UT | $78,436 | $10,370 | +225% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | American Public University SystemAssociate's Degree | Charles Town, WV | $77,650 | $18,191 | +199% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Southern Maine Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | South Portland, ME | $76,281 | Not available | +179% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Mt San Antonio CollegeAssociate's Degree | Walnut, CA | $74,354 | Not available | +185% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Santa Ana CollegeAssociate's Degree | Santa Ana, CA | $74,290 | $14,000 | +204% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | Fox Valley Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Appleton, WI | $72,460 | $10,000 | +143% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | Honolulu Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Honolulu, HI | $70,582 | Not available | +144% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | Pima Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $68,557 | Not available | +143% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | Springfield Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Springfield, MA | $67,156 | Not available | +119% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | Lake Superior CollegeAssociate's Degree | Duluth, MN | $66,854 | Not available | +81% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Vincennes UniversityAssociate's Degree | Vincennes, IN | $64,879 | $12,000 | +77% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | College of Southern NevadaAssociate's Degree | Las Vegas, NV | $64,487 | Not available | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Hutchinson Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Hutchinson, KS | $63,072 | Not available | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Valencia CollegeAssociate's Degree | Orlando, FL | $61,605 | $8,000 | +46% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Central New Mexico Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $55,883 | Not available | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Indian River State CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fort Pierce, FL | $54,150 | Not available | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Butte CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oroville, CA | $52,959 | Not available | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Chemeketa Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Salem, OR | Not available | $16,419 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $8,200 |
| 27 | University of Antelope ValleyAssociate's Degree | , | $51,346 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.