Fire Protection at University of Maryland Global Campus

This online bachelor's in fire protection comes with manageable estimated debt of $22,723, but parents should understand these figures come from comparable programs nationwide, not actual graduates of UMGC's specific program. Fire protection is a niche field with only 55 bachelor's programs nationally, and when sample sizes are this small, the Department of Education doesn't publish school-specific outcomes.

Based on peer programs, first-year earnings around $67,000 paired with that debt level yields a healthy 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio—well below the concerning 1.0 threshold. Fire protection professionals typically work in building inspection, fire marshal roles, or corporate safety departments, and these positions often value credentials for career advancement. However, the wide national range (median to 75th percentile spans $67,000 to $84,000) suggests outcomes depend heavily on where graduates land geographically and whether they enter public or private sector roles.

The challenge here is that UMGC is Maryland's only bachelor's option in this field, leaving no local comparison point. If your student is already working in fire service and needs this credential for promotion, the estimated debt burden appears reasonable. But without actual graduate outcomes from this program, you're betting on whether UMGC's online delivery and career network can match the typical results seen elsewhere in this specialized field.