Fire Protection at Lakeland Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 suggests manageable borrowing—the estimated $10,370 students typically owe could be paid off relatively quickly. However, the earnings picture requires closer scrutiny. Peer Fire Protection associate's programs nationally produce first-year earnings around $56,000, which this estimate reflects. That's a solid starting salary for a two-year degree in most markets, but it's notably lower than what similar programs in Ohio appear to deliver. Cincinnati State's Fire Protection graduates, for instance, earn $91,944 their first year out—nearly $36,000 more than the national benchmark suggests for Lakeland.

This gap matters because fire protection careers in Ohio clearly pay well, making location critical to your return on investment. If your child plans to work in a competitive Ohio fire department or municipal system, they might find themselves earning significantly less initially than peers from programs with stronger local placement records. The modest debt load keeps this from being a poor choice, but given that 15 schools across Ohio offer this program, it's worth investigating which ones consistently place graduates into higher-paying positions. The financial risk here is low, but the opportunity cost could be real if nearby alternatives routinely lead to those $90,000+ positions.