Fire Protection at Northeastern Junior College

For a two-year degree, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 is quite manageable—peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $56,000 against roughly $10,400 in debt. That's less than two months' salary, making this a relatively low-risk credential path. Fire protection programs at community colleges typically prepare graduates for immediate employment in firefighting, emergency services, or related safety roles, and the national benchmark earnings show steady mid-career demand in this field.

The limitation here is that we're working entirely with estimates drawn from similar programs elsewhere, since this specific program's graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish outcomes. Colorado has eight fire protection programs, but none report graduate data publicly, making it difficult to assess how regional job markets or program quality might differ. The national figures suggest fire protection associate's degrees vary considerably—top programs see first-year earnings above $75,000—but without local data, you can't gauge where Northeastern Junior College falls in that spectrum.

If your child is committed to firefighting or emergency services and prefers staying in rural Colorado, the estimated debt load won't be crushing even if earnings come in below the national median. However, investigate job placement rates directly with the college and consider whether larger metro areas or programs with published outcomes might offer clearer paths into competitive fire departments.