Downey, California has 26 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,142 to $19,760 per year for indexed programs. Downey has a population of about 111,793. Median household income is $87,400 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning fire science-related role is First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at a median $169,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Fire Science Schools to Downey
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fire science programs near Downey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Downey 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 Downey.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,950
Avg net price
$14,379/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,537
Avg net price
$9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,552
Avg net price
$3,133/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,678
Avg net price
$12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,526
Avg net price
$3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,553
Avg net price
$11,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,291
Avg net price
$14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,361
Avg net price
$8,069/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California fire science page.
Fire Science Wages Near Downey
Downey is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Firefighter | $98,050 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $86,312 |
| First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $169,350 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $149,076 |
| Fire Inspector and Investigator | $94,140 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,870 |
| Emergency Management Director | $130,020 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,454 |
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.
Downey at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 111,793 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $87,400 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 25.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Downey-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs
- Bell Gardens, CA – 2.4 mi away (42,806 pop)
- Paramount, CA – 3.4 mi away (54,909 pop)
- Cudahy, CA – 3.4 mi away (24,098 pop)
- Bellflower, CA – 3.5 mi away (77,790 pop)
- Norwalk, CA – 3.5 mi away (106,178 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited fire science schools are near Downey, CA?
Our directory has 26 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Downey. The closest is Compton College in Compton, CA (6.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Glendale Community College (16.8 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying fire science roles near Downey?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Downey are: First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($169,350), Emergency Management Director ($130,020), Firefighter ($98,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Bell Gardens instead of Downey?
Bell Gardens, CA is 2.4 miles from Downey 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 Downey an affordable place to study fire science?
Downey’s median household income of $87,400 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Downey while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Downey
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Downey:
- Business Development programs in Downey, CA
- Construction Management programs in Downey, CA
- Economics programs in Downey, CA
- Financial Technology programs in Downey, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Downey, CA
- Health Information Management programs in Downey, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in Downey, CA
- International Business programs in Downey, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Downey, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in Downey, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Downey, CA
- Operations Management programs in Downey, CA
- Public Administration programs in Downey, CA
- Real Estate programs in Downey, CA
- Recreation Management programs in Downey, CA
- Retail Management programs in Downey, CA
- Risk Management programs in Downey, CA
- Statistics programs in Downey, CA
- Taxation programs in Downey, CA
- Corrections programs in Downey, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Downey, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Downey, CA
- Criminology programs in Downey, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Downey, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Downey, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Downey, CA
- Legal Services programs in Downey, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Downey, CA
- Paralegal programs in Downey, CA
- Security Management programs in Downey, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Downey, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Downey, CA
- Innovation programs in Downey, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Downey, CA
- Software Development programs in Downey, CA
- User Experience programs in Downey, CA
- Web Development programs in Downey, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Downey, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Downey, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Downey, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Downey, CA
- Public Health programs in Downey, CA
- Human Resources programs in Downey, CA
- Project Management programs in Downey, CA
- Special Education programs in Downey, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Downey, CA
- Marketing programs in Downey, CA
- Finance programs in Downey, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Downey, CA
- Sports Management programs in Downey, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Downey, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Downey, CA
- Biology programs in Downey, CA
- Communications programs in Downey, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Downey, CA
- Human Services programs in Downey, CA
- MBA programs in Downey, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Downey, CA
- Nursing programs in Downey, CA
- Business Administration programs in Downey, CA
- Computer Science programs in Downey, CA
- Psychology programs in Downey, CA
- Education programs in Downey, CA
- Engineering programs in Downey, CA
- Technology programs in Downey, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Downey, CA
- Healthcare programs in Downey, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Downey, CA
- Accounting programs in Downey, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Downey, CA
- Social Work programs in Downey, CA
- Counseling programs in Downey, CA
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 California (2026)
