Fire Protection at Dallas College

In Texas, fire protection programs show a wide earnings spread—from $33,000 at Hill College to nearly $56,000 at Lamar Institute of Technology. Dallas College's certificate falls right at the state median of $47,024 based on comparable programs, putting it in the middle of this pack but well below what top-performing programs achieve.

The estimated $6,000 debt load is notably light, matching the state median and coming in substantially below the national figure of $9,557. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.13, graduates from similar programs could realistically pay off their loans within months rather than years. For a credential that gets students into the workforce quickly, this lean debt profile matters—it means your child isn't betting heavily on a specific salary outcome.

The challenge is knowing whether Dallas College will deliver outcomes closer to Lamar's $56,000 or Hill's $33,000. The lack of program-specific data means you're flying somewhat blind. If your child already has fire service connections in the Dallas area or knows they want this career path, the low financial risk makes this worth considering. But given the performance variation across Texas programs, it's worth investigating job placement rates and whether local fire departments actively recruit from Dallas College before committing.