Best Fire Science Schools Near Lakewood, CA (2026)

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

Lakewood, California has 27 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,142 to $19,760 per year for indexed programs. Lakewood has a population of about 80,510. Median household income is $116,794 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.6% 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 Lakewood

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fire science programs near Lakewood, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lakewood 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 Lakewood. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 13.0 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 59.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 14.8 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, CA 18.6 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 59.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,537
Avg net price $9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Los Angeles Valley College

Valley Glen, CA 28.5 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 42.2
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,678
Avg net price $12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 57.4 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 40.9
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,526
Avg net price $3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Crafton Hills College

Yucaipa, CA 60.2 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,553
Avg net price $11,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 118.2 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 24.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 222.8 miles from Lakewood BOC Score 41.3
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,361
Avg net price $8,069/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fire Science Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$98,050Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$86,312
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$169,350Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$149,076
Fire Inspector and Investigator$94,140Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$82,870
Emergency Management Director$130,020Los 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.

Lakewood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population80,510Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$116,794Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Lakewood, CA?

Our directory has 27 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Lakewood. The closest is Long Beach City College in Long Beach, CA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pasadena City College (20.6 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Lakewood 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 Bellflower instead of Lakewood?

Bellflower, CA is 2.8 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study fire science?

Lakewood’s median household income of $116,794 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood 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 Lakewood

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

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.

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