Program Analysis
Columbia Southern University's Fire Protection graduates start at $82,718/yr — above the $68,084 national average, though not by a wide margin.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 26.7x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Fire Protection programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Fire Protection's typical career paths, with 34% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 10% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $20,895 in median debt clears quickly against $82,718 in annual earnings.
At #1 of 20 nationally, this is a top-5% Fire Protection program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Five-year earnings of $87,912 are relatively flat compared to the $82,718 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.