Best Fire Science Schools Near Northfield, MN (2026)

Northfield, Minnesota has 4 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $5,940 to $25,978 per year for indexed programs. Northfield has a population of about 20,678. Median household income is $92,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $106,880 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Northfield

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

#1

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN 40.9 miles from Northfield 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

#2

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN 45.9 miles from Northfield 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

#3

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 54.4 miles from Northfield 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 168.4 miles from Northfield 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 190.4 miles from Northfield 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 290.9 miles from Northfield 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 Northfield

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Minnesota, statewide)
Firefighter$38,110
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$78,800
Fire Inspector and Investigator$84,410
Emergency Management Director$106,880

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.


Northfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population20,678Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$92,000Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Northfield-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Northfield. The closest is Century College in White Bear Lake, MN (41.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Waldorf University (85.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fire science roles in Minnesota?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles in Minnesota are: Emergency Management Director ($106,880), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($84,410), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($78,800). Wages for Northfield workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Faribault instead of Northfield?

Faribault, MN is 12.1 miles from Northfield 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 Northfield an affordable place to study fire science?

Northfield’s median household income of $92,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northfield 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 Northfield

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

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.