Fire Protection at Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville State's fire protection graduates earn $77,717 four years out—nearly 60% more than the typical North Carolina program in this field, which sits at just $49,112. That 80th percentile state ranking is particularly meaningful given that most students will work locally after graduation, and this program clearly outperforms its in-state competition. The starting salary of $67,586 puts graduates on solid financial footing immediately, with healthy 15% earnings growth over four years suggesting real career progression in fire safety management or inspection roles.

The debt picture reinforces the value: at $15,777, graduates carry about $6,000 less than the state median and roughly $7,000 less than the national average. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.23, most graduates could aggressively pay down their loans within a year or two if they chose to. That's a manageable burden for a field that doesn't require graduate school to advance.

The main caveat is sample size—fewer than 30 recent graduates means these numbers could shift with different cohorts. But the overall pattern is encouraging: reasonable debt, strong state-level earnings performance, and steady income growth. For a student interested in fire science who plans to work in North Carolina, this program offers a practical path to stable middle-class earnings without the debt burden that undermines many bachelor's degrees.