Fire Protection at Aims Community College

Aims Community College's fire protection certificate sits squarely in the middle of Colorado's offerings—literally at the state median for both earnings and debt. While it trails the national average by about $2,500 in starting salary, that 60th percentile state ranking tells a more relevant story for Colorado residents: this program outperforms most local alternatives, which matters when fire service jobs are typically location-specific.

The debt load of $9,750 translates to a manageable 0.22 ratio against first-year earnings, meaning graduates earn roughly $4.50 for every dollar borrowed. That's solid positioning for a credential designed to launch careers in emergency services, where advancement and benefits often matter as much as starting pay. The caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers could skew these numbers significantly in either direction.

For families considering this path, the key is fit: fire protection isn't a high-earning field out of the gate anywhere, but this program delivers reasonable debt and middle-of-the-pack Colorado outcomes. If your child is committed to fire service in the state, Aims offers a financially sensible entry point without gambling on outsized debt.