2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Kentucky

[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong fire protection education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value fire protection schools.
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2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fire protection, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fire Protection Schools
Madisonville Community College earned the #1 spot for value among fire protection schools in Kentucky. Madisonville Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Madisonville. Students from in state pay about $4,728 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $10,985 in student loans. Fire Protection graduates of Madisonville Community College earn a median of $41,084 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in fire protection will find it at Gateway Community And Technical College, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Florence, Gateway Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $11,611 in student loans. Early-career fire protection graduates make about $46,993. That is a strong return on a $11,611 median debt.
Bluegrass Community And Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fire protection, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Lexington, Bluegrass Community And Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,808 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,366 to complete the fire protection program here. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Bluegrass Community And Technical College generally make around $44,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in fire protection will find it at Eastern Kentucky University, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,320, while out-of-state students pay about $21,230. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Eastern Kentucky University generally make around $66,617. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.