Fire Protection at Sullivan County Community College

The $56,000 first-year earnings estimate for this program comes from national benchmarks, but that figure deserves scrutiny when you look at New York's own data. Onondaga Community College, the only Fire Protection program in the state with reported outcomes, shows graduates earning $37,705—about $18,000 less than the national median. That gap matters because firefighting salaries vary dramatically by region, and downstate New York departments typically pay far more than upstate positions, where Sullivan County Community College graduates are more likely to land jobs.

The estimated $10,370 in debt is manageable either way, representing less than a fifth of even the lower state earnings figure. Fire Protection is also one of those fields where the associate's degree is the standard credential—you're not competing against bachelor's holders for entry-level positions. The real question is whether you'll land with a department that pays closer to national norms or stay in a region where salaries trend lower.

Given the wide spread between state and national earnings data, get specific about job placement before committing. Ask the program where recent graduates actually work and what those starting salaries look like. The debt load won't sink your child, but the geographic salary differences could mean the difference between comfortable repayment and financial strain.