Best Fire Science Schools Near Erie, CO (2026)

Erie, Colorado has 8 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $2,258 to $34,783 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 31,927. Median household income is $163,644 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 66.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Colorado, the top-earning fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $129,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Erie

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

#1

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 23.3 miles from Erie BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Community College of Aurora

Aurora, CO 25.5 miles from Erie BOC Score 47.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,592
Avg net price $8,656/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,470
Out‑of‑state$17,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Aims Community College

Greeley, CO 28.5 miles from Erie BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,887
Avg net price $11,463/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pikes Peak State College

Colorado Springs, CO 89.2 miles from Erie BOC Score 50.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,796
Avg net price $6,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern Junior College

Sterling, CO 105.5 miles from Erie BOC Score 51.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,893
Avg net price $13,801/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pueblo Community College

Pueblo, CO 124.5 miles from Erie BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,434
Avg net price $12,045/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Colorado Mountain College

Glenwood Springs, CO 125.9 miles from Erie BOC Score 52.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,127
Avg net price $7,813/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,616
Out‑of‑state$12,840
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, CO 198.7 miles from Erie BOC Score 56.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,823
Avg net price $15,103/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$79,390Boulder, CO$75,466
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$121,000Boulder, CO$115,019
Fire Inspector and Investigator$85,750CO statewide$81,511
Emergency Management Director$129,660CO statewide$123,251

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.


Erie at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,927Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$163,644Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+66.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Erie, CO?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Erie. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (9.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pikes Peak State College (89.1 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Erie are: Emergency Management Director ($129,660), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($121,000), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($85,750). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lafayette instead of Erie?

Lafayette, CO is 4.3 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study fire science?

Erie’s median household income of $163,644 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Erie

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

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.