Best Fire Science Schools Near Marion, OH (2026)

Marion, Ohio has 19 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,393 to $22,448 per year for indexed programs. Marion has a population of about 35,771. Median household income is $45,829 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Ohio, the top-earning fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $94,690 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Marion

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

#1

Columbus State Community College

Columbus, OH 43.7 miles from Marion BOC Score 56.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,435
Avg net price $8,400/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Central Ohio Technical College

Newark, OH 50.8 miles from Marion BOC Score 56.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,168
Avg net price $9,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Clark State College

Springfield, OH 59.8 miles from Marion BOC Score 46.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,584
Avg net price $12,135/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Zane State College

Zanesville, OH 72.2 miles from Marion BOC Score 51.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,006
Avg net price $8,062/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,006
Out‑of‑state$11,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, OH 78.8 miles from Marion BOC Score 58.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,837
Avg net price $3,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH 81.5 miles from Marion BOC Score 55.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,558
Avg net price $5,992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 90.5 miles from Marion BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Cincinnati, OH 124.7 miles from Marion BOC Score 50.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,137
Avg net price $4,968/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science Wages Near Marion

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Ohio, statewide)
Firefighter$59,370
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$84,490
Fire Inspector and Investigator$59,280
Emergency Management Director$94,690

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.


Marion at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,771Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,829Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+10.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Marion-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Marion, OH?

Our directory has 19 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Marion. The closest is Knox County Career Center in Mount Vernon, OH (37.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Zane State College (72.2 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles in Ohio are: Emergency Management Director ($94,690), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($84,490), Firefighter ($59,370). Wages for Marion workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Delaware instead of Marion?

Delaware, OH is 21.3 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study fire science?

Marion’s median household income of $45,829 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Marion

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

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.