Best Fire Science Schools Near Portsmouth, OH (2026)

Portsmouth, Ohio has 20 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,728 to $29,310 per year for indexed programs. Portsmouth has a population of about 17,919. Median household income is $35,319 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% 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 Portsmouth

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

#1

Columbus State Community College

Columbus, OH 84.1 miles from Portsmouth 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

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH 88.6 miles from Portsmouth BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,810
Avg net price $25,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 111

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Cincinnati, OH 89.9 miles from Portsmouth 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

#4

Clark State College

Springfield, OH 91.3 miles from Portsmouth 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

#5

Central Ohio Technical College

Newark, OH 94.7 miles from Portsmouth 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

#6

Zane State College

Zanesville, OH 96.6 miles from Portsmouth 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

#7

Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH 96.9 miles from Portsmouth 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

#8

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 177.8 miles from Portsmouth 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

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


Fire Science Wages Near Portsmouth

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.


Portsmouth at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population17,919Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$35,319Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Portsmouth-Area Cities With Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 20 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Portsmouth. The closest is Pike County Joint Vocational School District in Piketon, OH (21.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (88.3 miles). 5 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 Portsmouth workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Ashland instead of Portsmouth?

Ashland, KY is 26.0 miles from Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth an affordable place to study fire science?

Portsmouth’s median household income of $35,319 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth

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

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.