Best Fire Science Schools Near Baltimore, MD (2026)

Baltimore, Maryland has 18 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $3,849 to $58,378 per year for indexed programs. Baltimore has a population of about 577,193. Median household income is $59,623 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, the top-earning fire science-related role is First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at a median $110,060 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Baltimore

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

#1

Anne Arundel Community College

Arnold, MD 18.4 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 63.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,219
Avg net price $14,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Montgomery College

Rockville, MD 32.5 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 59.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,159
Avg net price $8,027/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cecil College

North East, MD 42.2 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 45.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,952
Avg net price $9,658/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Frederick Community College

Frederick, MD 43.8 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 71.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,449
Avg net price $9,465/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

College of Southern Maryland

La Plata, MD 55.8 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 53.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,435
Avg net price $9,204/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Wor-Wic Community College

Salisbury, MD 84.8 miles from Baltimore BOC Score 38.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,748
Avg net price $9,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science Wages Near Baltimore

Baltimore is part of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area (BLS area code 12580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$73,810Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$70,632
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$110,060Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$105,321
Fire Inspector and Investigator$98,730Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$94,478
Emergency Management Director$105,230Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$100,699

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.


Baltimore at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population577,193Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,623Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.5 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Baltimore-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Baltimore, MD?

Our directory has 18 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Baltimore. The closest is Howard Community College in Columbia, MD (15.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Southern Maryland (55.8 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Baltimore are: First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($110,060), Emergency Management Director ($105,230), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($98,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Baltimore?

Laurel, MD is 19.7 miles from Baltimore 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 Baltimore an affordable place to study fire science?

Baltimore’s median household income of $59,623 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Baltimore while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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 Baltimore

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.