2023 Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting School for You
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting is the #12 most popular major in the country with 142,610 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 100 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region
Check out the homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Wayland Baptist University the best school in the Southwest Region for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. Located in the remote town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at Wayland Baptist University accumulate an average of around $18,391 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Norman.
On average, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from University of Oklahoma take out $28,623 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at Texas A & M University - Central Texas helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools in the Southwest Region . Located in the rural area of Killeen, Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public college with a small student population.
On average, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Texas A & M University - Central Texas take out $23,288 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Texas Christian University is a great place for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. TCU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Fort Worth.
While working on their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at TCU accumulate an average of around $25,387 in student debt.
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Out of the 100 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Sam Houston State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from SHSU carry an average student debtload of $24,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $162.
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Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the town of Stillwater, OSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from OSU carry an average student debtload of $26,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $468.
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University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #7 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. UOPX - Arizona is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Tempe.
The average amount in student loans that homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at UOPX - Arizona take out is $38,923. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $182.
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South Texas College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. South Texas College is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of McAllen.
While working on their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at South Texas College accumulate an average of around $6,750 in student debt.
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Rio Salado College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. Rio Salado College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Tempe.
After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Rio Salado College carry an average student debtload of $9,131.
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With a ranking of #10, El Centro College did quite well on this year’s best schools for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the large city of Dallas.
The average amount in student loans that homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at El Centro College take out is $13,692.
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University of Houston - Downtown ranked #11 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Houston, UH Downtown is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at UH Downtown accumulate an average of around $29,750 in student debt.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at University of Houston - Downtown Report
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Grand Canyon University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region list. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
The average amount in student loans that homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at Grand Canyon University take out is $26,622. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $213.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Grand Canyon University Report
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University of North Texas did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. It came in at #13 on the list. UNT is a fairly large public school located in the city of Denton.
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting majors at UNT take out an average of $20,375 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $215.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at University of North Texas Report
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Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from ASU - Skysong carry an average student debtload of $21,520. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $329.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Arizona State University - Skysong Report
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Tarleton State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the town of Stephenville, Tarleton is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at Tarleton take out is $24,250. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $152, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Tarleton State University
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Our Lady of the Lake University | San Antonio, TX |
| 17 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX |
| 18 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX |
| 19 | West Texas A&M University | Canyon, TX |
| 20 | University of the Incarnate Word | San Antonio, TX |
Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges by State
Explore the best homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 3,897 |
| Texas | 8,278 |
| New Mexico | 630 |
| Oklahoma | 1,017 |
More Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Rankings in the Southwest Region
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Related Rankings by Major
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 113,121 |
| Fire Protection | 13,766 |
| Homeland Security | 7,140 |
| Security Science and Technology | 6,888 |
| Other Homeland Security | 1,695 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies | 73,813 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Barry Bahler.
More about our data sources and methodologies.