Best Fire Science Schools Near Bardstown, KY (2026)

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

Bardstown, Kentucky has 8 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,728 to $21,230 per year for indexed programs. Bardstown has a population of about 13,673. Median household income is $49,781 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, the top-earning fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $78,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fire Science Schools to Bardstown

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

#1

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Elizabethtown, KY 24.7 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 55.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,143
Avg net price $5,143/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,728
Out‑of‑state$6,432
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

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

#2

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Louisville, KY 33.8 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 49.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,171
Avg net price $6,376/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,808
Out‑of‑state$6,512
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

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

#3

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Lexington, KY 53.8 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 51.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,343
Avg net price $6,113/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 63.2 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,795
Avg net price $11,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 72

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

#5

Somerset Community College

Somerset, KY 69.5 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 47.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,787
Avg net price $4,398/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

Bowling Green, KY 80.4 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 56.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,242
Avg net price $3,537/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Owensboro Community and Technical College

Owensboro, KY 89.2 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 55.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,798
Avg net price $5,800/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Gateway Community and Technical College

Florence, KY 93.1 miles from Bardstown BOC Score 55.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,147
Avg net price $5,725/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fire Science Wages Near Bardstown

Bardstown is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 31140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$45,160Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$48,507
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$58,310Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$62,632
Fire Inspector and Investigator$57,710Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$61,987
Emergency Management Director$78,050Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$83,835

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.

Bardstown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population13,673Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,781Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+24.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bardstown-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Bardstown, KY?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Bardstown. The closest is Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY (24.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gateway Community and Technical College (90.7 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Bardstown are: Emergency Management Director ($78,050), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($58,310), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($57,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Elizabethtown instead of Bardstown?

Elizabethtown, KY is 24.4 miles from Bardstown 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 Bardstown an affordable place to study fire science?

Bardstown’s median household income of $49,781 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bardstown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Bardstown

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

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 Kentucky: Online Programs (2026)