Best Fire Science Schools Near Minnetonka, MN (2026)

Minnetonka, Minnesota has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $5,940 to $6,298 per year for indexed programs. Minnetonka has a population of about 53,256. Median household income is $120,496 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $111,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Minnetonka

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

#1

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN 11.9 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 58.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,460
Avg net price $10,272/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,940
Out‑of‑state$5,940
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN 24.2 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 52.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,424
Avg net price $10,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 89.7 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 59.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,247
Avg net price $7,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lake Superior College

Duluth, MN 142.8 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 61.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,449
Avg net price $15,492/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,785
Out‑of‑state$5,785
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Fergus Falls, MN 158.2 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 64.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,591
Avg net price $12,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,908
Out‑of‑state$5,908
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northland Community and Technical College

Thief River Falls, MN 255.1 miles from Minnetonka BOC Score 63.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,425
Avg net price $13,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science Wages Near Minnetonka

Minnetonka is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$39,350Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$37,548
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$81,630Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$77,891
Fire Inspector and Investigator$84,410Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$80,544
Emergency Management Director$111,950Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$106,823

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.


Minnetonka at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population53,256Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$120,496Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+63.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Minnetonka-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Minnetonka, MN?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Minnetonka. The closest is Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, MN (11.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Riverland Community College (89.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Minnetonka are: Emergency Management Director ($111,950), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($84,410), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($81,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Saint Louis Park instead of Minnetonka?

Saint Louis Park, MN is 4.8 miles from Minnetonka 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 Minnetonka an affordable place to study fire science?

Minnetonka’s median household income of $120,496 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Minnetonka while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Minnetonka

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

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.