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Best Fire Science Schools Near Decatur, AL (2026)
Updated August 31, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Decatur, Alabama is home to about 57,974 residents. In Alabama, the top-earning fire science-related role is Fire Inspector and Investigator at a median $78,110 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Fire Science Schools to Decatur
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fire science programs near Decatur, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Decatur city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Decatur.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama fire science page.
Fire Science Wages Near Decatur
Decatur is part of the Decatur, AL metro area (BLS area code 19460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter
$43,650
Decatur, AL
$50,057
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
$73,320
AL statewide
$84,083
Fire Inspector and Investigator
$78,110
AL statewide
$89,576
Emergency Management Director
N/A
AL statewide
–
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Decatur at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
87.2 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Decatur-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs
What are the highest-paying fire science roles near Decatur?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Decatur are: Fire Inspector and Investigator ($78,110), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($73,320), Firefighter ($43,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Decatur?
Athens, AL is 14.7 miles from Decatur and has its own set of local fire science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: August 31, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
