Best Fire Science Schools Near Madison, AL (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Madison, Alabama has 2 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $3,300 to $17,756 per year for indexed programs. Madison has a population of about 58,335. Median household income is $131,436 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. 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 Madison

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fire science programs near Madison, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Madison 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:

  • 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 Madison. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Faulkner University

Montgomery, AL 163.7 miles from Madison BOC Score 32.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,457
Avg net price $22,085/yr
Tuition
In‑state$23,920
Out‑of‑state$23,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL 307.2 miles from Madison BOC Score 55.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,534
Avg net price $14,580/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama fire science page.

Fire Science Wages Near Madison

Madison is part of the Huntsville, AL metro area (BLS area code 26620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$48,010Huntsville, AL$51,568
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$74,540Huntsville, AL$80,064
Fire Inspector and Investigator$78,110AL statewide$83,899
Emergency Management DirectorN/AAL 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.

Madison at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population58,335Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$131,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+65.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Madison-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Madison, AL?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Madison. The closest is Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN (90.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgia Northwestern Technical College (96.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fire science roles near Madison?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Madison are: Fire Inspector and Investigator ($78,110), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($74,540), Firefighter ($48,010). 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 Huntsville instead of Madison?

Huntsville, AL is 6.6 miles from Madison 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.

Is Madison an affordable place to study fire science?

Madison’s median household income of $131,436 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Madison while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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.

Learn More About Fire Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Madison

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Madison:

Data verified: August 11, 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.

Back to Best Fire Science Schools in Alabama: Online Programs (2026)