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2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Virginia

[Fire Protection](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/fire-protection/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value fire protection schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Virginia

2026 Best Value Fire Protection Schools in Virginia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fire protection, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Fire Protection Schools

1

Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA

$5,858 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,001 Avg Student Debt

$38,349 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in fire protection, no school beat Tidewater Community College this year. Tidewater Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,858, while out-of-state students pay about $12,296. Fire Protection graduates carry a median of $14,001 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Tidewater Community College generally make around $35,627. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

$16,173 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,414 Avg Student Debt

$44,813 Median Earnings (10yr)

Liberty University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value fire protection schools. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,173. Students borrow a median of $27,414 to complete the fire protection program here. Soon after graduation, fire protection degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $45,877. That is a strong return on a $27,414 median debt. Liberty University admits about 99% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.