Best Fire Science Schools Near Springfield, MO (2026)

Springfield, Missouri has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $3,342 to $17,080 per year for indexed programs. Springfield has a population of about 169,432. Median household income is $45,984 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning fire science-related role is Fire Inspector and Investigator at a median $77,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Springfield

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

#1

Ozarks Technical Community College

Springfield, MO 1.7 miles from Springfield BOC Score 54.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,455
Avg net price $6,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science Wages Near Springfield

Springfield is part of the Springfield, MO metro area (BLS area code 44180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Firefighter$44,990Springfield, MO$50,779
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$61,310Springfield, MO$69,199
Fire Inspector and Investigator$77,240MO statewide$87,178
Emergency Management Director$75,660MO statewide$85,395

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.


Springfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population169,432Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,984Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Springfield-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Springfield, MO?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Springfield. The closest is Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, MO (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is NorthWest Arkansas Community College (75.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Springfield are: Fire Inspector and Investigator ($77,240), Emergency Management Director ($75,660), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($61,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Nixa instead of Springfield?

Nixa, MO is 10.3 miles from Springfield 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 Springfield an affordable place to study fire science?

Springfield’s median household income of $45,984 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Springfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Springfield

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

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.