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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Fire Science Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
424 Fire Science Degrees Awarded
$45,314 Avg Early-Career Salary

Fire Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 22 schools to find the best for fire science students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Fire Science in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fire science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Fire Science

1
Harper College crest
Harper College
Palatine, IL

Harper College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in fire science. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Palatine. Harper College awarded about 21 fire science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire science degree from Harper College earn around $44,523 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $10,963 to complete this degree. See the full fire science program report for Harper College

2
Illinois Central College crest
Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL

A rank of #2 makes Illinois Central College one of the top schools for fire science. Set in the suburb of East Peoria, Illinois Central College is a large public institution. Illinois Central College awarded about 14 fire science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire science degree from Illinois Central College earn around $53,190 in the first couple years of their career. Illinois Central College graduates carry a median of $12,222 in student loans. More information about a degree in fire science from Illinois Central College

3

Waubonsee Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best fire science schools. This large public university is located in the rural area of Sugar Grove. There were roughly 75 fire science students who graduated with this degree at Waubonsee Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the fire science program make about $39,659 in their early career. Waubonsee Community College graduates carry a median of $9,939 in student loans. See the full fire science program report for Waubonsee Community College

4

A rank of #4 makes Southwestern Illinois College one of the top schools for fire science. Set in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public institution. Southwestern Illinois College awarded about 64 fire science degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the fire science program make about $77,935 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $12,750. Get the full fire science details for Southwestern Illinois College

5

A rank of #5 makes College Of Lake County one of the top schools for fire science. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Grayslake. There were roughly 19 fire science students who graduated with this degree at College Of Lake County in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire science degree from College Of Lake County earn around $50,314 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $9,785 to complete this degree. See the full fire science program report for College Of Lake County

6

Elgin Community College landed the #6 spot for fire science this year. This large public university is located in the city of Elgin. Elgin Community College awarded about 88 fire science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire science degree from Elgin Community College earn around $43,975 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $7,727 to complete this degree. See the full fire science program report for Elgin Community College

7

Lewis And Clark Community College came in at #7 for fire science this year. Located in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public university. There were roughly 32 fire science students who graduated with this degree at Lewis And Clark Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire science degree recipients from Lewis And Clark Community College generally make around $41,313. Typical student debt for the program is $9,602. See the full fire science program report for Lewis And Clark Community College

8

Joliet Junior College placed #8 among the best fire science schools. Joliet Junior College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Joliet. Joliet Junior College awarded about 13 fire science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fire science degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Typical student debt for the program is $11,995. Get the full fire science details for Joliet Junior College

9
Mchenry County College crest
Mchenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL

Mchenry County College placed #9 among the best fire science schools. This large public university is located in the rural area of Crystal Lake. There were roughly 44 fire science students who graduated with this degree at Mchenry County College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their fire science degree from Mchenry County College earn around $24,177 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $7,440 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in fire science from Mchenry County College

10

John Wood Community College came in at #10 for fire science this year. Set in the town of Quincy, John Wood Community College is a mid-sized public institution. There were roughly 11 fire science students who graduated with this degree at John Wood Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the fire science program make about $45,748 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,844. Read more about the fire science program at John Wood Community College

11
Prairie State College crest
Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL

Prairie State College came in at #11 for fire science this year. Prairie State College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Chicago Heights. About 43 fire science degrees were awarded at Prairie State College in the most recent year. Fire Science graduates of Prairie State College earn a median of $37,500 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $15,663 to complete this degree. Get the full fire science details for Prairie State College

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 22 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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