Fire Protection at Butte College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 suggests a manageable financial picture for this fire protection program, though the numbers themselves deserve scrutiny. The estimated $10,370 in debt falls below both the national median ($11,250) and California's median ($14,000) for similar programs, while projected first-year earnings of $56,004 align with national benchmarks. However, these figures come from peer programs across the country, not Butte College's actual graduates—the student cohort here is too small for the Department of Education to publish outcomes. This means you're evaluating the program based on what similar fire protection associate's degrees typically produce rather than this school's specific track record.

The California context adds an important wrinkle. Fire protection earnings in the state average about $53,847—roughly $2,000 less than the national median used here. If Butte College's graduates follow state patterns rather than national ones, the financial picture would be slightly tighter but still workable. The ratio would climb to about 0.23, which remains reasonable for an associate's degree. What you can't know from these estimates is whether Butte College has the local fire service connections and training facilities that turn theoretical credentials into actual job placements.

Given the estimation uncertainty, verify that this program feeds into local hiring pipelines. Fire protection is a field where institutional reputation and regional connections often matter more than the degree itself.