Fire Protection at Cisco College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 looks remarkably manageable on paper, but it's important to understand what you're working with here: both the $56,000 first-year earnings figure and the $10,370 debt estimate come from national peer programs, not from tracking Cisco College's actual fire protection graduates. With only 27 fire protection programs across Texas and none reporting verified outcomes, you're essentially making an educated guess about what this particular pathway might yield.

That said, the national benchmark of $56,000 for associate-level fire protection programs suggests this field generally offers decent earning potential relative to the credential level. If Cisco's program performs anywhere near that median, the estimated debt load would be paid down relatively quickly. The real question is whether this specific program connects students to fire departments and emergency services employers in the region—something completion rates and job placement data (if available directly from the school) would illuminate better than these borrowed figures can.

For a two-year degree, fire protection typically offers clearer career pathways than many associate programs, but you're buying into that prospect without concrete evidence that Cisco's graduates achieve the national norm. Ask the school directly about graduate outcomes, partnerships with local fire departments, and whether their curriculum meets Texas Commission on Fire Protection certification requirements before committing.